There are five Group 1 races held on Golden Slipper Day, including the $3.5 million Golden Slipper and the $2.25 million The BMW Stakes.  While it might not have the same prize money and prestige as these other two races, the George Ryder Stakes is also an important part of Sydney’s biggest day of racing.  The George Ryder Stakes is a weight for age event worth $400,000 in prize money, run over a distance of 1500 metres.

The George Ryder Stakes normally features a small field, with the sit and sprint nature of this event suiting horses familiar to this style of racing.  The winner of the George Ryder Stakes is exempt from ballot for the Doncaster Mile, with some horses also likely to go on to the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Group 1 All Aged Stakes.

The field for the 2013 edition of the George Ryder Stakes includes the famous Pierro, with his run likely to be one of the most anticipated events of the day.  While there is no doubt that this day belongs to the two year olds, the three year old Pierro is 9 from 9 in his home town and likely to make it 10 in the George Ryder this year.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained galloper was fantastic when winning the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes in heavy conditions, while also beating More Joyous recently to claim the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes.  Pierro will take a lot of beating in the 2013 George Ryder Stakes, although this race can sometimes throw up some surprises.

Some of the other runners to look out for this year inlcude Rebel Dane, Shoot Out, Laser Hawk, and King Mufhasa.  This race could be a tight one, but the crowd, and the money, will be on the side of Pierro as he attempts to make history.  The George Ryder Stakes is a great example of why Golden Slipper Day is more than a single race, with events like this helping to make it the richest single day of racing on the Australian calendar.