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The European Pattern Race Committee decision-making process is flawed and could have disastrous consequences, argues Jocelyn de Moubray
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THE EUROPEAN PATTERN RACE COMMITTEE is slowly but surely destroying what used to be known as the European Classic programme. The committee believes, according to the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities whose representatives sit upon it, that its decisions bring “universally recognised benefits”, while at the same time remaining “adaptable and responsive to changes”. However, by applying subjective and arbitrary rules across the whole of the European Pattern, the Committee has failed to reflect changes in the breeding industry and has worked to undermine the programme for middle-distance three-year-olds by systematically downgrading what used to be vital parts of the selection
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...simple average will always under-rate middle-distance races for three-year-olds
of the best middle-distance horses in each European country. The Derrinstown Derby Trial, the Dee Stakes, the Prix Noailles, as well as a whole selection of French provincial and Scandinavian Derby’s, are amongst the races that have lost status in recent years, while in its most recent announcements the committee has put races such as the Prix Greffuhle, the Prix Hocquart, the Prix Malleret, the Deutches Derby, the Diana Trial and Derby Italiano under threat of downgrades. There are two major problems with the way the European Pattern Committee takes it decisions. They are based upon a three-year average of the ratings of the first four horses in any particular Pattern race. This simple, but flawed equation, does not reflect the way horses are placed to run and, more importantly,
