Racing NSW defends stand on Metropolitan despite loss of group 1 status

Racing NSW acting chief executive Graeme Hinton has defended the regulator’s decision not to change the conditions of The Metropolitan in a bid to save its group 1 status, saying that retaining it as a feature staying handicap was more important.

The Asian Racing Federation (ARF), which took control of Australia’s race grading system in December after a decade-long impasse between the states, announced late on Thursday that the Metropolitan, a principal or group 1 race since it was first held in 1866 as the Great Metropolitan Stakes, would be downgraded to a group 2 from this year.

The ARF said the $750,000 race, set down for October 3 at Randwick, had failed to meet the ratings parameters for the past three seasons and was considered for a downgrade by the Asian Pattern Committee (APC) during its review in July. The APC considered a submission from Racing Australia, which included a proposal from Racing NSW, to change the race conditions of the Metropolitan.

The APC kept the race at group 1 level for season 2026-27, on the condition those changes were made, but Racing NSW then decided to keep the race as it is, prompting Thursday’s announcement.

It is believed increased prizemoney and a switch from handicap to set weights and penalties conditions were considered in an attempt to attract stronger fields. Royal Supremacy, Land Legend and Just Fine have been the most recent winners of the Metropolitan, which are the trio’s only group 1 successes.

“We have always said that all races should be judged on their merits,” Hinton said. “Whether that means they are upgraded or downgraded, that is what the guidelines dictate.

“Whilst we could have looked to change the handicap conditions of the race to try and achieve a higher rating, this would have fundamentally changed what the Metropolitan race is. Retaining its place as a feature staying handicap was the most important objective.”

The Australian Jockey Club changed the race to set weights and penalties in 1995 but reverted to handicap conditions after 1999.

Meanwhile, Warwick Farm trainer Matt Smith is looking at targets for Portland and promising stayer Aethelwulf, which steps up to Saturday grade at Rosehill.

Aethelwulf, $15 in TAB markets for the Metropolitan, is a $1.50 favourite for race three on Saturday, a 2000m benchmark 78 handicap after three wins in four starts this preparation, including a five-length victory last start over 1900m at Canterbury in his first city test.

Smith is wary of going too deep into the spring with the four-year-old gelding and said the group 3 Newcastle Cup (2300m) on September 18 was a more likely target than the Metropolitan.

“He’s only lightly raced, and I don’t want to beat him up this prep,” Smith said. “I’ll just have to see how he goes. He might go to the Newcastle Cup, if he happens to win tomorrow and he was impressive.”

Smith said Aethelwulf, which has had just five starts, was a “backward yearling” and had needed time to mature.

“Based on his last win, he’s going to be winning, but they have to come out and do it,” Smith said. “And young horses, they are probably not as consistent as seasoned horses.”