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

The Classic is run each year on the last Friday in November and attracts a large crowd from all around the country.

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 Otaki.

For more than a decade the race was sponsored by Bayer, a name by which many people still know the race.

Among the most famous winners are Bonecrusher

Bonecrusher (horse)

Bonecrusher Is a retired champion New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who was widely admired in both Australia and New Zealand. Bred by Bill Punch, his dam's sire was a son of a French champion, Tantieme. Bonecrusher was purchased by Peter Mitchell for just $3,250 at the Waikato Yearling Sales,...

, Veandercross

Veandercross

Veandercross was a New Zealand bred Thoroughbred gelding who won 14 stakes races, , and was chosen Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year for the 1992/93 season....

, O'Reilly, Russian Pearl and Wahid

Wahid (horse)

Wahid is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the New Zealand Derby in 2006.The son of Almutawakel grabbed everyone's attention with his stunning debut win at Trentham , and was rarely out of the limelight for the remainder of his two year-old season...

.

Winners of the Levin Classic

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer
2011	Distill	Robert Hannam	Roydon Bergerson
2010	We Can Say It Now	Leith Innes	Murray & Bjorn Baker
2009	Eileen Dubh	Jonathan Riddell	Francis Finnegan
2008	Altered Image	Michael Coleman	Mike & Paul Moroney
2007	Keepa Cruisin	Leith Innes	Stephen McKee
2006	Porotene Gem	David Walker	Kevin Gray
2005	Wahid Wahid (horse) Wahid is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the New Zealand Derby in 2006.The son of Almutawakel grabbed everyone's attention with his stunning debut win at Trentham , and was rarely out of the limelight for the remainder of his two year-old season...	Hayden Tinsley	Allan Sharrock
2004	Ambitious Owner	Leith Innes	Murray Baker
2003	Russian Pearl	Hayden Tinsley	B & S Marsh
2002	Bunker	Opie Bosson	T & S McKee
2001	Final Destination	Gary Grylls	Vannessa Hillis
2000	Tit For Taat	Hayden Tinsley	Wayne Herbert
1999	Buzz Lightyear	Opie Bosson	Robert Priscott
1998	Tobruk	Leith Innes	Graham Richardson
1997	Love De Tor	Greg Childs	Mike Moroney
1996	O'Reilly	Lance O'Sullivan	D & P O'Sullivan
1995	Prussian Blue	Shane Udy	Davina Waddell
1994	Avedon	Darryl Bradley	Patrick Campbell
1993	Al Akbar	Gary Grylls	Chris Wood
1992	Nimue	Lance O'Sullivan	D & P O'Sullivan
1991	Veandercross Veandercross Veandercross was a New Zealand bred Thoroughbred gelding who won 14 stakes races, , and was chosen Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year for the 1992/93 season....	Jim Walker	Chris Turner
1990	Eagle Eye	Noel Harris	Murray Baker
1989	Phillipa Rush	Lance O'Sullivan	Jim Campin
1988	Krona	Peter Tims	Roger McGlade
1987	Young Indian	Peter Tims	N Morgan
1986	The Bishop	Maree Lyndon	Don Couchman
1985	Bonecrusher Bonecrusher (horse) Bonecrusher Is a retired champion New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who was widely admired in both Australia and New Zealand. Bred by Bill Punch, his dam's sire was a son of a French champion, Tantieme. Bonecrusher was purchased by Peter Mitchell for just $3,250 at the Waikato Yearling Sales,...	Jim Cassidy	Frank Ritchie
1984	Princess Dram	Maree Lyndon	Neil Bradley
1983	Burletta	Jim Cassidy	Patrick Campbell
1982	Our Flight Our Flight (horse) Our Flight is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the New Zealand Derby in 1984, one of the very few fillies to have done so in the history of the race....	M Campbell	Errol Skelton
1981	Altitude	Stephen Autridge	Bill Ford