The Group One Levin Classic - formerly the Bayer Classic - is one of the premier races for three-year-old thoroughbreds in New Zealand.

History

The race, first run under the name Levin Turf Classic, was originally run at Levin Racecourse until that facility was closed as a racing venue in 1990 and the race was transferred to nearby Ōtaki. For more than a decade the race was sponsored by Bayer, and known as the Bayer Classic. For much of its history, the race was run at Levin and then Ōtaki on the last Friday in November. Concern began to grow in the 2000s about the race's close proximity to the

New Zealand 2000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas is a Group One set-weight Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of 1600 metres at Riccarton Park in Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch New Zealand cup week The New Zealand 2000 Guineas is hel ...

and

New Zealand 1000 Guineas The 1000 Guineas is a Group One set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run over a distance of 1600 metres (1 mile) at Riccarton Park in Christchurch, New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the sout ...

, both run in the second week in November. The three Group 1 3-year-old races over a mile in the New Zealand racing season were all run within the space of three weeks, leading to an inevitable dilution of quality of fields. From 2014 the Levin Classic was moved to

Trentham Racecourse Trentham Racecourse is the main thoroughbred horse racecourse for the Wellington city area in New Zealand. It is located in the suburb of Trentham, New Zealand, Trentham in Upper Hutt, next to Trentham Military Camp. The races are conducted by t ...

in Wellington and initially run as part of the

Wellington Cup The Wellington Cup is a Group 3 Thoroughbred horse race in New Zealand held annually in January by the Wellington Racing Club at Trentham Racecourse in Trentham, New Zealand, Trentham. History Inaugurated in 1874, the Wellington Cup has been ra ...

Carnival in January conducted by the

Wellington Racing Club The Wellington Racing Club (WRC) is a racing horse racing club based at Trentham Racecourse in Trentham, Wellington, New Zealand. Founded as the Wellington Jockey Club in 1854, the first race meetings held by the club were at Hutt Park in 1854 ...

. In 2022 and 2023 the race was held in March but it was returned to January in 2024.

Notable winners

Among the most famous winners are: * Bonecrusher, winner of the 1985

New Zealand Derby The New Zealand Derby is a set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run over a distance of 2,400 metres (12 furlongs) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held in March each year. History The New Zealand Derby i ...

and 1986

Cox Plate The W. S. Cox Plate is a Group races, Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and over under Weight for age conditions, over a distance of 2040 metres (approximately 1m 2f), that is held by the Moonee Valley Racin ...

Imperatriz Imperatriz is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Maranhão. The city extends along the northeastern bank of the Tocantins River and is crossed by the Belém-Brasília Highway, standing on the border with the state of Tocantins (state), Tocant ...

, winner of the 2022 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes and 2023 Railway Stakes *

O'Reilly O'Reilly () is a common Irish surname. The O'Reillys were historically the kings of East Bréifne in what is today County Cavan. The clan were part of the Connachta's Uí Briúin Bréifne kindred and were closely related to the Ó Ruairc ( ...

, winner of the 1997

Telegraph Handicap The Telegraph Handicap is a Group One New Zealand horse race contested by the Wellington Racing Club at Trentham Racecourse in Upper Hutt. It was traditionally raced during the Wellington Cup carnival in mid-January, however from 2025 it has bee ...

* Our Flight, winner of the 1982

and

* Tit For Taat, winner of the 2000

, 2003

Waikato Sprint The Waikato Sprint currently run as the BCD Group Sprint is a Group One, Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run at Te Rapa Racecourse in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton in early February. It is currently held on the same day as the Group 1 New Zeala ...

and Sir Byrne Hart Stakes *

Veandercross Veandercross (14 October 1988 – 18 October 2014) was a New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred gelding who won 14 stakes races, (including eight Group one), and was chosen Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year for the 1992–93 season. Veandercros ...

, winner of the 1991

, 1992

Canterbury Guineas The Randwick Guineas is an Australian Turf Club Group One Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run at set weights over a distance of 1600 metres at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia in March as a part of the Sydney Autumn Carnival. ...

and 1993

Australian Cup The Australian Cup is a Victoria Racing Club Group races, Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older, held under Weight for Age conditions, over a distance of 2000 metres, at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australi ...

Wahid Wahid or Waheed is an Arabic masculine given name, meaning "One", "Absolute One". Its feminine form is Wahida. Al-Wahid is one of the Names of God in Islam, 99 names of Allah. Given name * Waheed Akhtar (1934–1996), Urdu poet * Waheed Alli, Baron ...

, winner of the 2006

Race results

References

{{reflist
Racenet - Australia's Premier Horse Racing News, Form Guides & Tips

LOVERACING.NZ - New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing

TAB , Sports & Racing Betting Online in New Zealand

New Zealand Horse Racing Statistics and Information - RaceBase
* ''The Great Decade of New Zealand racing 1970-1980''. Glengarry, Jack. William Collins Publishers Ltd, Wellington, New Zealand * ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1981 (Tenth edition)''. Costello, John, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand Horse races in New Zealand Flat horse races for three-year-olds Levin, New Zealand

History

Notable winners

Race results

See also

References