The Roar‘s racing calendar restructure continues today with a rundown of the proposed changes for Australian autumn racing, after Cam Rose walked us through our spring improvements on Tuesday.
The proposed spring program trimmed the current 28 Group 1 races down to 19, with the biggest changes affecting the sprint and mile ranks.
Most racing fans would agree that the current autumn calendar holds even more issues and that is represented by more radical changes below.
I will use 2016 dates to outline our proposal.
Orr Stakes: Downgrade to Group 2
Autumn racing starts a week earlier under our proposal and the Orr Stakes is the first of 11 autumn Group 1s to get the chop. That may seem harsh for a race that was a few years ago (off the back of Black Caviar’s 2012 victory) officially rated as one of the best in the country.
The bottom line is the Orr is the autumn’s Memsie. It usually draws a reasonably strong field of horses looking to kick off their autumn campaign. The fact that Sydney has the Apollo as its equivalent means that the best eligible horses are split across the two cities.
Blue Diamond Stakes: Downgrade to Group 2
Futurity Stakes: Downgrade to Group 2
Schillaci Stakes: Transferred from the spring as a direct swap with the Oakleigh Plate and remains at Group 2 level but run over 1100m instead of 1000m
Usually the Lightning meeting would sandwich the Blue Diamond Stakes meeting at Caulfield but under these proposed changes, Saturday, February 13 would be free of any serious Group racing.
The Blue Diamond meeting takes the biggest hit of the autumn. The Blue Diamond itself is downgraded to Group 2 status on the basis that there only needs to be one 1200m Group 1 for two-year-olds each season. Naturally, that would be the Golden Slipper Stakes which is almost always the premier juvenile race in Australia each season, not to mention the world.
Furthermore, the Blue Diamond is run at the same time as Sydney’s Golden Slipper lead-ups which means the Diamond will hardly ever draw a field with the depth of the Slipper.
The Futurity Stakes at 1400m suffers the same fate as the Orr. It is usually a weaker race than the Orr in any event with many Orr runners progressing to the Peter Young 1800m, also run on this program.
The Schillaci Stakes fills the void left by the vacated Oakleigh Plate.
Black Caviar Lightning: Group 1
The Black Caviar Lightning is moved a week forward so that it sits two weeks before the Newmarket in what is a significantly different autumn sprinting program. The race rightly retains its Group 1 status.
We have opted to move the Black Caviar Lightning to the track Black Caviar called home, Caulfield, largely because we think it will help draw the strongest field possible in the Newmarket Handicap, without actually impacting on the Lightning contingent.
On Monday, I spoke about the Sprinters’ Quintet – The Manikato Stakes, Darley Classic, Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, Newmarket Handicap and TJ Smith Stakes – as the premier series for the elite sprinters. The issue with the Quintet is that three races are held down the Flemington straight, a course which does not suit everyone. Moving the Black Caviar Lightning to Caulfield seems logical.
Canterbury Stakes: Revert to Canterbury, downgrade to Group 2, elevate in distance from 1300m to 1550m
I’m all for Canterbury hosting important Group races and to make this possible we have moved the Canterbury Stakes to the position of the Chipping Norton and changed the distance to 1550m to make the move to Canterbury Park possible.
The reason for the downgrade to Group 2 status, is that much like the Orr and Futurity, this race is very much a kick-off point for horses who are looking to peak deeper in the Carnival.
William Reid Stakes: Downgrade to Group 2 and move three weeks earlier in the calendar
The William Reid Stakes has become a Group 1 in name only. The race is currently run at the end of March and typically draws a field of tier two and three sprinters. For that reason the race loses its Group 1 status.
But by moving the race three weeks forward, we are attempting to breathe life back into the William Red. Essentially, this becomes the final lead-up for the Newmarket Handicap and a race that we expect many Schillaci horses will use on route to the Newmarket.
Australian Guineas: Moved to Randwick to replace the now defunct Randwick Guineas
All Aged: Move from the final day of the Carnival to the place of the Canterbury, downgrade to Group 2, keep at 1400m
We are big fans of limiting the amount of Guineas run in Australia to only three – the Caulfield Guineas, Thousand Guineas and Australian Guineas.
Because the Caulfield and Thousand Guineas are run in the Melbourne spring for the respective sexes, the Australian Guineas should be run in Sydney in the autumn. We have decided to disband the Randwick Guineas – a race that has caused many programming issues since it replaced the Canterbury Guineas and was moved to 1600m.
We expect the Australian Guineas to be the premier 1600m three-year-old race in the country, bringing together the best fillies and colts from Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand.
The All Aged moves to the place of the Canterbury. At 1400m, instead of the Canterbury’s 1300m, we expect this race will stop drawing the attention of horses that should be running in the Sprinters’ Quintet series. The race loses its Group 1 status because the race is run too early in the autumn to attract all of the best sprinter-milers in the country. It will remain the major George Ryder lead-up.
Australian Cup: Group 1, change to handicap
The Australian Cup, and it’s main lead-up, the Peter Young, have been moved forward a week to try and get the best horses from this race to Rosehill where they would be two weeks into the Ranvet or three weeks into the BMW.
Australian racing is desperate for a feature 2000m handicap and the Australian Cup is the perfect candidate because it is a meaningful race that is run towards the start of the autumn when some middle-distance stars (like Winx this year) are still gaining fitness over shorter distances. Of course the race was run as a handicap between 1863 and 1978 and 1982 and 1986.
Newmarket Handicap: Group 1
The whole Melbourne sprint program has shifted in an attempt to restore the Newmarket Handicap to its former glory. The idea is that if all roads point to Flemington the strongest Newmarket field possible will be assembled.
I’m hoping our changes to the program will have all the gun sprinters meeting five times through the season in the Sprinters’ Quintet. This race is key to the Quintet because it is the only handicap.
Coolmore Classic: Downgrade to Group 2
An important race for mares in any event, the Coolmore Classic has not drawn enough Group 1-quality fields in previous years to retain its Group 1 status.
The Sky High Stakes is run over set weights and penalties over 2000m on this day and will probably become the feature race on this Rosehill card, acting as Sydney’s version of the Turnbull – the fork-in-the-road race for middle-distance gallopers. An upgrade to Group 2 status will probably happen in the coming years.
Golden Slipper: Group 1
George Ryder: Group 1
Ranvet Stakes: Group 1
Rosehill Guineas: Group 1, change name to Autumn Champion
Galaxy: Downgrade to Group 2
The Golden Slipper, George Ryder and Ranvet Stakes rightly retain their Group 1 status. I think many trainers appreciate having the Ranvet run three weeks before the Queen Elizabeth in what is a very modern program.
The Rosehill Guineas changes its name to the Autumn Champion in keeping with our decision to run three Guineas each season, all at a mile. The Autumn Champion is the natural partner to Caulfield’s Spring Champion.
The Galaxy is the major TJ Smith lead-up for the tier-two Sydney sprinters – I would expect most tier-two Melbourne sprinters would now have a go at the Newmarket the week before and be three weeks into the TJ Smith if they dare to have a throw at the stumps. Therefore the Galaxy should no longer hold its Group 1 status.
BMW: Group 1
Storm Queen Stakes: Downgrade to Group 2
I was initially very critical of moving the BMW away from Slipper Day when this was done for the first time in 2015 but the program worked – even if the race-day attendance was abysmal.
The BMW is still the best 2400m race in Australia, but now also acts as a key Sydney Cup lead-up. And, importantly, this all helps make the Sydney Cup relevant again.
For the record, It’s a Dundeel used the BMW as his lead-up to Queen Elizabeth victory in 2014. He proved you could drop back in distance 400m in a two-week space successfully.
The Storm Queen is usually won by the dominant filly each season but it really doesn’t possess the depth of a Group 1 race, especially when the Australian Oaks is the true grand final.
Doncaster Mile: Group 1
TJ Smith Stakes: Group 1
Australian Derby: Group 1
Sires Produce: Group 1
This is clearly my favourite race meeting of the year because we get to see maybe 12-15 of the best 20 horses in Australia on the one day. Which other meeting in Australia can boast that?
All four Group 1s are deserving of their status, even if the Sires Produce is not the race it was 60 years ago. The Championships truly are the grand finals of Australian racing.
A $1 million prize money bonus will be awarded to the best-performed horse through the Sprinters’ Quintet which concludes with the running of the TJ Smith.
Queen Elizabeth: Group 1
Sydney Cup: Group 1
Australian Oaks: Group 1
Queen of the Turf: Group 1
Another race meeting full of grand finals. Queen Elizabeth aside, you won’t see the same quality as we do the previous week but all four Group 1s are deserving of the title.
Now that the Coolmore Classic and Storm Queen have been downgraded, the Queen of the Turf and Australian Oaks become crucial Group 1 races.
Chipping Norton: Group 1, shorten the distance to 1400m, replaces the moved All Aged
Champagne Stakes: Downgrade to Group 2
Cam was a massive advocate of running the last day of the Carnival at Warwick Farm and I think it’s a good idea, noting the success of Sandown Guineas Day in the spring.
As we saw in the 2015 All Aged, the end-of-autumn 1400m feature can produce a top field full of Doncaster and TJ Smith runners. For that reason the Chipping Norton keeps its Group 1 status – becoming the only Group 1 at 1400m through the autumn.
The Champagne, however, has not been able to consistently draw the depth of a Group 1 race so it loses Group 1 status.
And there it is – 11 Group 1 downgrades. The Newmarket is restored to its former might after a clean-up of a very messy sprinting program. I think turning the Australian Cup into a handicap will be a boon for the race. Most importantly, the clash of the two Guineas races is solved once and for all.
Be sure to drop a comment below, letting us know if you think we’ve nailed it or perhaps suggesting some other areas from improvement. After all, improvement of the calendar is what we are after.
Our Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide readers will be excited to know that Cam will be looking at those cities’ Group 1 races tomorrow. A broom will be taken to the current calendar, making for interesting debate.
Casper
Guest
We all know a lot of these more recent upgrades/new group 1's were created to give breeders and sellers the opportunity to claim group black type in their catalogues. The Coolmore is a perfect example of a manufactured 'breeders stakes' race with no history. From a Sydney/Melbourne perspective, I suggest that your Autumn Championship (Rosehill Guineas) is just a lead up to the Derby so should be downgraded to Group 2. The Sires Produce races across various states are also options for downgrading as they are generally restrictive. Outside that, not a bad effort.
Devout Saint
Guest
I have been thinking about and discussing Australia having too many group 1's. Especially over distances between 1000m to 1400m and especially between Feb and June. This is what I have come up with. I would scrap the William Reid as a group 1. It is usually a very weak group 1 race and usually a small field with little depth. I would scrap the Futuity as a group 1 and replace it with the Peter Young as a group 1. That would give Melbourne The Orr over 1400m, then 2 weeks into the Peter Young and then 2 weeks into the Australian Cup. I would scrap the Canterbury stakes as a group 1. This race was only promoted to group 1 status in 2012 and has never been a group 1 race in my opinion. I would make the Coolmore fillies and mares race a set weights (WFA) over the 1500m and I would increase the Queen Of The Turf to 2000m set weights (WFA), or I would scrap the Coolmore altogether. I do not see the need to have a group 1 fillies and mares handicap over 1500m and then a 1600m fillies and mares race at set weights 4 weeks later. I would also scrap the BTC sprint as a group 1. I would probably scrap the Goodwood handicap as a group 1 too, but I do like Adelaide to have a group 1 sprint if possible. I would scrap the Tatts Tiara as a group too.
Wal G
Guest
Wet tracks hurt racing? try telling that to Lee Freedman! at least the horses get around safe. You can do the form for slow/heavy but bottomless is a problem. Turnover may suffer but thats laziness from punters. Your statement 6 in every 7 Syd easters are wet wouldn't pass ABC fact checkerif put to the test. Last 3 tracks for Doncaster have been heavy so recency syndrome is affecting you - over last 25 years: Heavy x5 & Slow x4 versus Dead x8 & Good x8
Mark Haywood
Roar Pro
Good work again guys… is the conversation getting a bit caught up in the whole “G1/G2/G3” thing? Seems in many cases we’re suggesting fields will remain the same a current G1 race even if it became a G2 – so in that sense, does it really matter? Surely it’s about ensuring appropriate scheduling (proper spacing and no clashes) for each race type… get that right, and I don’t think it matters too much whether it gets designated G1 instead of G2, as long as the prizemoney is there they’ll come. You could probably say the same about the location of races, if we’re taking a national view to the schedule it shouldn’t matter too much where it’s run – at the top level they’ll travel between Melbourne and Sydney. So would seem a shame to be throwing out tradition by shifting some grand old races not just to another track, but to another state.
Pepper Jack
Guest
And the Octagonal and Arkady decision
Cameron Rose
Expert
Yeah, I love the race. I was there for Makybe Diva giving Grand Armee windburn.
Nathan Absalom
Roar Guru
Silent Achiever was a much better horse going clockwise whether in NZ or Australia. But while the last 10 years the winner's list isn't flash, the 10 years before that was brilliant with Tie The Knot, Octagonal, Might and Power and Makybe Diva winning.
Nathan Absalom
Roar Guru
True enough, it's the historical aspect of two clubs with a main track and a secondary track that's made the Autumn carnival what it is.
Pepper Jack
Guest
Nothing wrong with Warwick Farm. It's just that it's too far to travel for the eastern suburbs elitists, plus they don't like mixing with the green tooth and thong brigade Canterbury gets shafted because they want every excuse to sell it
Cameron Rose
Expert
I think the BMW is definitely on the rise again, hence why we've kept it as the premium race it is, with its own day! The first three home in the Silent Achiever / It's a Dundeel / Fiorente BMW were the only good horses, apart from Foreteller who couldn't run 2400m down a well. In fact, the BMW he ran fifth in (Fiveandahalfstar in 2013) was more of a Sydney Cup trial Group 2 or 3 than a WFA Group 1. Perhaps we need to write a debate on which is the better 2400m race!
Cameron Rose
Expert
All excellent points Allanthus, and we did debate the two year old calendar at length. In fact, it was probably the section we took the most time over. The Blue Diamond could still have a hefty purse could it not, in terms of a carrot for connections, as Sausages points out. But it's definitely a discussion. The other point is that the less G1's available to younger horses, the less that breeders get in the game, we should see better horses for longer careers.
Fiddlesticks
Guest
Canterbury and the farm aren't inferior to the valley and sandown It's not the crowds, it's the racing
Cameron Rose
Expert
Fascinating statistics Pepper Jack. The sheer amount of our provincial racing must skew those numbers. I wonder how our numbers would stack up against HK if we just took Wednesday and Saturday runners.
Allanthus
Guest
Cam, I'm no fan of 2yo racing, for some of the reasons you suggest. The fact that there is big money and G1 glory on offer no doubt results in some (many?) horses racing too hard too early. But I'm working on the assumption that, despite our concerns, 2yo racing will continue, and the animal welfare argument is another topic which is starting to stretch the brief a little bit. You still have the Slipper in place, and the Blue Diamond is still in place, so then we might as well bite the bullet and accept that the BD is a valid G1 target race. I don't think it diminishes from Sydney at all, as Sausages says, with 2yo's they mostly only get one shot at a shortish prep, and the races are far enough apart not to interfere with each other. A VIC trainer with an early 2yo can have a pot at the BD, if he needs a wee bit more time, or has one good enough for the big prize, then he'll target the Slipper. There are definitely enough quality 2yo horses in VIC/SA to warrant a 2nd G1 for the age group in Feb.
Justin Cinque
Expert
In fairness the walls of Rosehill are decorated with famous BMWs and Golden Slippers. The race should stand on its own without being a lead-up to anything. It just happens to be a Cup lead-up and has been for ages. We are embracing that. I understand that not everyone or anyone will like it but its how it is at the moment and we have run with it.
Justin Cinque
Expert
I reckon 6 in every 7 Sydney Easters are wet. That hurts the racing.
Justin Cinque
Expert
Who Shot Thebarman doesn't get around Caulfield. His Melbourne Cup form, especially in 2014 speaks for itself. Silent Achiever was a funny mare in the sense that we only saw her best in the autumn of 2014. For the record she beat easily It's A Dundeel in that 2014 BMW. He's the only horse to have beaten Atlantic Jewel. She also beat Fiorente a few times that autumn. He won the Melbourne Cup. The BMW suffered for five or eight years recently when our wfa staying stocks were rubbish but it will be a good race this year.
Nathan Absalom
Roar Guru
I liked it when the first day of the carnival was Easter Saturday, but what they could do is have the Oaks meeting on Easter Thursday. Ladies Day before a Friday public holiday, you know it makes sense.
Justin Cinque
Expert
I hear you Moose. If we took down the Sires as well, the Blue Diamond would be easier to argue. But I hear you.
Moose
Guest
Great review Justin and I like all you suggestions, but im with Sausages, the Blue Diamond needs to stay a Group 1. Victoria as either the No. 1 or No. 2 racing state must have at least one Group 1 2 year old race. The Slipper obviously gets a stronger field because they are racing for double the money but there needs to be an incentive for owners for an earlier 2yo race. I would make the ATC Sires Produce a Group 2 before the Blue Diamond.