Ryder Stakes

Levin Ryder Stakes

The Ryder Stakes is one of the biggest winter two year old races in New Zealand, at one of the largest winter race meetings in the Lower North Island / Central Districts. The Ryder Stakes has provided juvenile racehorses a precious opportunity to obtain ‘black type’ status, important for international thoroughbred breeding standards, before they turn three.

Levin Racing Club was proud to be associated with PHIL’S ELECTRICAL and GIPSY CARAVANS as major sponsors for the 2024 Ryder Stakes meeting, held recently at Ōtaki-Māori Racecourse on July 29.

The club also acknowledges its other sponsorship partners, Vets On Riverbank, Racing This Time TV On Facebook, Levin Truck Services, Riverside Construction, Ilone Kelly Racing, Uzabus and The Hilton on Ranfurly for their support.

The 2025 Ryder Stakes will be run on Saturday, July 27th, at Otaki Racecourse. Free entry. For hospitality and sponsorship packages on the day, contact Events Coordinator Lesley Haigh here.

In-Depth History of the Ryder Stakes

Since 1970, the Levin Racing Club’s Listed Ryder Stakes has provided the last opportunity for New Zealand’s top two year olds to win a prized ‘black type’ event. At this time, the last two year old race on the racing calendar was on the Queen’s Birthday weekend at Wanganui in June. Gordon Ryder had a vision that the Levin Racing Club could card a race at the end of the season to prepare the two year old crop for their three year old season, and promote the New Zealand Breeding Industry – thus the ‘Ryder Stakes’ was born.

The Ryder family involvement in the Levin Racing Club dates back to the onset of the Club. Walter Ryder (Gordon’s grandfather) and John Ryder (Walter’s brother) were inaugural members in the early 1900s. Walter later became President of the Club, as did his son Morton (Mort) Ryder, who took over from his father as President in 1945.

Norman (Dick) Ryder became President in the early sixties and the only Levin race meeting that Dick missed in 55 years’ association with the Club was the day he died in Palmerston North in 1977. Gordon Ryder was elected to the Committee in 1970, and became President in 1985 – the third generation of Ryders to be President of the Levin Racing Club.

The Ryder Stakes has been a stepping stone for many Group and Stakes winners, including Beechcraft, Arctic Wolf, Weston Lea, Finnegan Fox, Veandercross, and more recently, Egyptian Raine, Bunker, Final Reality, Keep the Message, and Classic Mission.