However on Saturday at Caulfield we saw a $120,000 race - the regular Saturday prizemoney - retain Listed status. Same tomorrow at the feature midweek meeting.
And there is a Group 3 race worth only $150k.
If the MRC wants to "rob Peter to pay Paul" in order to get a $5 million Caulfied Cup have no problem at all.
But the Pattern Committee has a credibility problem unless they act in downgrading races where the prizemoney is not sufficient.
Or maybe we have entered a period where "the Victorian bloc" will just abuse their powers to suit Victorian racing black type status and overstate the race's worth while keeping non bloc states in check.
They should get rid of the Pattern Committee and replace it with an independent board - maybe with even an international member - if they, the Pattern Committee, doesn't act on this.
There should be no place for politics in the classification of Australian thoroughbred racing.
MRC permitted to get away with two Listed races on Saturday that only have the regular Saturday prizemoney.
In all my time following racing the MRC is the only club allowed to do this. Listed races ALWAYS carry a bit more than regular Saturday prizemoney no matter where they are run.
Might be time for the pattern committee to be replaced by a new structure that is independent does not show a bias toward Victoria.
Last Saturday the regular prizemoney at Morphetville was $30-40k. The Durbridge Stakes was worth $100,000 i.e.more than double the regular prizemoney. But it only got Listed status.
They should run the Durbridge at Caulfield or Sandown. It would be a Group 1 there.