Key Changes Made to Kiwi Black Type Races

The New Zealand Pattern Committee (NZPC) has completed its annual review of Black Type racing in New Zealand, with several changes made to the schedule of feature races for 2023-24. The total number of black-type races has been reduced by eight to 142 races. This is due to a downward trend in the overall number of races being run every season, leading to an increasingly disproportionate number of races holding Black Type status. "A significant decline in the number of races run in recent seasons has seen the New Zealand Pattern race percentage increase to over 6 percent," the NZPC said in its report. "This was generating international concern and affecting the perceived quality of the New Zealand Pattern." The NZPC formed a subcommittee to review the pattern with an aim of reducing that percentage to around 5 percent or less, which is the international norm. The eight races that have lost their Listed status are the Staphanos Classic (1950m), the Feilding Cup (2100m), the Levin Stakes (1200m), the Newmarket Handicap (1200m), the Timaru Cup (1600m), the New Zealand St Leger (2600m), the Riverton Cup (2147m) and the Easter Cup (1600m).