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 and
New Zealand 1000 Guineas, 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 in Wellington and initially run as part of the
Wellington Cup Carnival in January conducted by the
Wellington Racing Club.
Since 2022 it has been run in March, on the same day as the:
*
New Zealand Oaks
The New Zealand Oaks is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run at set weights over a distance of 2400 metres ( miles) on the third Saturday of March every year at Trentham Racecourse in Wellington, New Zealand.
It was ...
.
* Cuddle Stakes (1600m for fillies and mares).
*
New Zealand St. Leger (2600m).
* Lightning Handicap (1200m)
Notable winners
Among the most famous winners are
Bonecrusher,
Veandercross,
O'Reilly,
Our Flight, Russian Pearl, Tit For Taat and
Wahid.
Race results
See also
*
Recent winners of major NZ races for 3 year olds
*
Otaki-Maori Weight for Age
*
Trentham Stakes
*
Thorndon Mile
*
Karaka Million
The Karaka Million refers to two major New Zealand horse races for young horses - the original Karaka Million for two-year-old (2YO) horses and the Karaka Million 3YO Classic that started in 2018. Held at Ellerslie Racecourse, they are New Zea ...
*
Hawke's Bay Guineas
*
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 on the first Saturday in March, as the opening day o ...
*
New Zealand Oaks
The New Zealand Oaks is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run at set weights over a distance of 2400 metres ( miles) on the third Saturday of March every year at Trentham Racecourse in Wellington, New Zealand.
It was ...
*
New Zealand 1000 Guineas
*
New Zealand 2000 Guineas
References
{{reflist
N.Z. Thoroughbred Racing Inc.* http://www.racenet.com.au
* http://www.nzracing.co.nz
* http://www.tab.co.nz
* http://www.racebase.co.nz
* ''The Great Decade of New Zealand racing 1970-1980''. Glengarry, Jack. William Collins Publishers Ltd, Wellington, New Zealand.
* ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 2018 (47th edition)''. Dennis Ryan, Editor, Racing Media NZ Limited, Auckland, New Zealand.
* ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 2017 (46th edition)''. Dennis Ryan, Editor, Racing Media NZ Limited, Auckland, New Zealand.
* ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 2008 (37th edition)''. Bradford, David, Editor. Bradford Publishing Limited, Paeroa, New Zealand.
* ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 2005 (34th edition)''. Bradford, David, Editor. Bradford Publishing Limited, Paeroa, New Zealand.
* ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 2004 (33rd edition)''. Bradford, David, Editor. Bradford Publishing Limited, Paeroa, New Zealand.
* ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 2000 (29th edition)''. Bradford, David, Editor. Bradford Publishing Limited, Auckland, New Zealand.
* ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1997 (26th edition)''. Dillon, Mike, Editor. Mike Dillon's Racing Enterprises Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand.
* ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1995 (24th edition)''. Dillon, Mike, Editor. Mike Dillon's Racing Enterprises Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand.
* ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1994 (23rd edition)''. Dillon, Mike, Editor. Meadowset Publishing, Auckland, New Zealand.
* ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1991 (20th edition)''. Dillon, Mike, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand.
* ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1987 (16th edition)''. Dillon, Mike, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand.
* ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1985 (Fourteenth edition)''. Costello, John, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand.
* ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1984 (Thirteenth edition)''. Costello, John, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand.
* ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1982 (Eleventh edition)''. Costello, John, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, 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