Group races
Group races, also known as Pattern races, or Graded races in some jurisdictions, are the highest level of races in Thoroughbred horse racing. They include most of the world's iconic races, such as the Derby, Irish Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in Europe, the Melbourne Cup in Australia, and the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup races in the United States. Victory in these races marks a horse as being particularly talented, if not exceptional, and they are extremely important in determining stud values. They are also sometimes referred to as Black type races, since any horse that has won or placed in one of these races is printed in bold type in sales catalogues.
The International Grading and Race Planning Advisory Committee, part of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, enforces quality standards for the designation of group and graded races internationally.
Group race system
The Group race system divides races into one of four categories, based on their prestige and quality.Group/Grade 1
The highest level, for races with major international importance considered to be of championship standard, including Classics. Examples include the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Epsom Derby, 2000 Guineas Stakes, Kentucky Derby, Breeders' Cup Classic, Irish Champion Stakes, Melbourne Cup, Japan Cup, Dubai World Cup, Hong Kong Cup and Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini.
Group/Grade 2
Races that have significant international importance, but are below a championship standard. Examples include the Doncaster Cup, Prix Niel, Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, Sandown Guineas, Gran Premio del Jockey Club, Mainichi Ōkan, and Grande Prêmio Bento Gonçalves.
Group/Grade 3
Other races of note, mainly of national rather than international importance. Examples include the Ormonde Stakes, Royal Whip Stakes, British Columbia Derby, Hawkesbury Gold Cup, and Challenge Cup.
Listed
Races below the standard of graded or group races, but still run by horses of notable merit and performance quality.
History
In 1943, Lord Ilchester's Racing Reorganisation Committee first proposed the idea of a planned racing program for Great Britain. This idea was returned to in 1965, when the Duke of Norfolk's Pattern of Racing Committee proposed formalizing a comprehensive Pattern of black type races with an emphasis on high-class, non-handicap races, limited in number and spread throughout the season to encourage the best horses to face each other. With the general principles laid out, Lord Porchester headed a further committee in 1967 to identify specific races, both in Britain and in other countries.By the late 1960s, a state of crisis had developed with regards to international racing in Europe. At the time, weight penalties were determined by the amount of money won. French races were significantly richer than those in other European countries, resulting in complaints that many important French races were being "plundered" by foreign horses carrying less weight. Pressure was being applied to restrict races to only horses trained in France in order to prevent this, which would have greatly hampered the increase in international racing.
British, French, and Irish authorities met in 1970 to discuss developing a Pattern race system, and in 1971 the European Pattern Committee was established and the first European Pattern published.
European authorities began to push North American jurisdictions to develop a similar system designating prominent races to promote international competition. In 1973, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association began a project grading North American stakes races and American races were first designated with graded designations, mirroring group designations in Europe.
The categorical system stakes races began to spread to other countries, with Germany and Italy soon joining Great Britain, France, and Ireland in the European Pattern, Brazil starting to designate group races in 1975, Australia introducing group races in 1976, New Zealand doing the same in 1979, and Japan implementing a graded race structure in 1984, among other countries.
In 1983, the International Cataloguing Standards Committee and Society of International Thoroughbred Auctioneers were created and the first International Cataloguing Standards Booklet was published, with the objective of preventing discrepancies and imbalances in the designation of Group or Grade and black type status among different jurisdictions.
In 1984, the United States Graded Stakes Committee granted the seven new Breeders' Cup races Grade 1 status, despite having never been run before, an unprecedented move.
In 2015, the Commonwealth Cup became the first new race inaugurated with Group 1 status in the history of the European Pattern.
Black type
In 1952, for their sales catalogs, Fasig-Tipton began to designate stakes winners in a pedigree using bold-face type, with winners in all caps and stakes-placed runners in mixed case, in an attempt to show buyers and breeders horses and races of note. Keeneland followed suit in 1960. In 1963, Blood Horse published the first edition of Cataloguing Standards for foreign racing. Two years later, the Jockey Club Statistical Bureau took over publication.The International Cataloguing Standards Committee and Society of International Thoroughbred Auctioneers later defined more precisely specific races in which horses could earn black type.
In 1971, the Australian Conference of Principal Race Clubs developed a list of Principal Races that qualified for black type.
By the mid-1980s, international agreement had been made that all graded/group races would qualify for black type designation. In 1985, concern was raised regarding a lack of opportunity to earn black type in North American compared to Europe due to the lower percentage of stakes races. This led to the development of ungraded or non-listed black type races in North America. In 1985, unrestricted allowance or handicap races with a purse of $30,000 or greater were given black type status and designated with a Q for Qualified Race. Other added money or black type races were designated with an O or OR. In 1986, new rules for black type status in North American races were drawn up, defining listed stakes with purses of $50,000 or more and other added-money stakes with purses of $15,000 to $49,999. The minimum purse to qualify for black type status for other added-money stakes was raised to $25,000 starting in 1990.
Over the years, the minimum purse for black type status in North American races has increased, and is $50,000 as of 2023.
In 2012, the North American ICSC introduced a scoring system to determine whether or not non-listed stakes should be granted black type. Since 2014, each race is assigned a Race Quality Score, based on speed figures for the top four finishers with data from Bloodstock Research Information Services, Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form, Equibase, and Thoro-Graph. The three-year average RQS must meet a minimum for the race's age/sex division, or it loses black type status.
Black type status
From 1971 to 1984, the top three finishers in a Graded/Group race were granted black type status. In 1985, this was expanded to the top four finishers in Graded/Group races and the top three finishers in qualified races in North America. Starting in 1989, races in Part III countries were no longer recognized as black type and rules were amended so that only in Group/Grade 1 races were the top four finishers granted black type. The following year, the rules were once again amended, so that only the top three finishers in black type races are granted black type status.The recognition of the black type status of jump races is based on regional preference.
By country and region
Australia
In Australia, the Australian Pattern Committee recommends to the Australian Racing Board which races shall be designated as Group races. The list of races approved by the ARB is accepted by the International Cataloguing Standards Committee for publication by The Jockey Club in The Blue Book, thus providing international recognition for Australia's best races.Minimum purse values for group races in Australia are as follows:
- Group 1 - A$350,000
- Group 2 - A$175,000
- Group 3 - A$115,000
- Listed Races - A$80,000
Handicap races in Australia are eligible for group status.
The Asian Pattern Committee is the accepted authority for Group and Listed status in Australia.
Europe
In Europe the designation of flat races is agreed by the European Pattern Committee. The Committee grades races depending on the average official ratings achieved by the first four finishers in a race over a three-year period. There is no minimum purse money across Europe. The breakdown is as follows:- Group 1 - Minimum official rating of 115
- Group 2 - Minimum official rating of 110
- Group 3 - Minimum official rating of 105
- Listed - Minimum official rating of 100, may not be divided into two or more divisions, may not have a standard entry fee exceeding 2% of the purse, must be open to geldings, and must have a permanent element in the title. In addition, Group 1 races may only have sex and weight-for-age allowances, with no other weight penalties.
The pattern system, overseen by the European Pattern Committee, is fluid and the Group status of key races can change. By this method, the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot was upgraded from Group 2 to Group 1 in the year 2000. However, a number of checks and balances are in place which ensure that changes to the Pattern are gradual and evolutionary, thereby giving the racing industry time to adjust. In particular, the current European Pattern Committee "Ground Rules" explicitly state that no race may be upgraded by more than one Group in any one year.
Great Britain has minimum purse values for some group races, as follows:
- Group 1- £250,000
- Group 2 - £100,000