The race has had several name and distance changes over the years and originally started as the Railway Stakes over 1200m in 1903, when won by the Soult (GB) gelding Cressy.

It was not held in 1913 for obvious reasons and went up to the 1400m in 1915, with the Earlston (GB) mare Eugeny prevailing.

Two runnings of the race was not an unusual happening, with Braehead/Sir Maitland (1922), Volpi/Naharadan (1923), Valiant/Encre (1925), Cavidweller/Fujisan (1927) and Ascalon/Vaals (1928).

Fujisan had won an AJC Doncaster Handicap in 1925 and also took out an AJC All-Aged Stakes in 1927, along with the Railway Handicap.

Vaals had won an AJC Epsom Handicap a year before taking out the Railway Handicap.

1930 saw two divisions of the Railway Handicap run and the winners were Greenline and Sir Chrystopher.

Greenline was an entire that would amongst his victories take out the VRC Newmarket and a C.F. Orr Stakes.

The gelding Sir Chrystopher would win an All-Aged Stakes and a Doncaster Handicap in 1931.

Two runnings of the race happened in 1935, under the name of the Elizabeth Farm Handicap, with High and Sarcherie the victors.

The mare Sarcherie (by Archery (GB)) would win a Doncaster Handicap in 1937 and a Rawson Stakes the following year.

1936 saw a return to the name of Railway Handicap, with the term Quality added in a little later, which continued up to and including 1967, when won for the second time by the Star Kingdom (IRE) gelding Time And Tide.

Time And Tide had won the race in 1964 and ended up a multiple stakes performer, who delivered as a young horse when taking out the AJC Sires' Produce and Champagne Stakes.

The gelding would win three Theo Marks Quality Handicaps, a Caulfield Guineas and in 1965 captured the Doncaster Handicap, the Rawson Stakes and an Oakleigh Plate.

The first dual winner however of the Railway Handicap was Prince Regoli in 1962-63.

Foresight (1968-69) won the race when called the CP Air Quality Handicap, with the Wilkes (FR) gelding also capturing in his career amongst others, a VRC Linlithgow, an AJC All-Aged Stakes and a STC Rawson Stakes.

The last two runnings of the race under the name Railway Handicap came in 1971-72, with the freakish Baguette winning the penultimate event.

Baguette won the Golden Slipper and a George Main Stakes amongst a plethora of dominant juvenile and three-year-old performances.

Triton won in 1972 and the entire by Pakistan ll (GB) that same year would also take out the AJC All-Aged Stakes, AJC Epson Handicap and the QTC Stradbroke Handicap.

1973 saw the race take the name of the George Ryder Stakes, named in honour of a founding member of the Sydney Turf Club, who would later become Vice Chairman then Chairman of the club.

George Edward Ryder was born at Tingha, a small mining town near Inverell and his visionary concepts of breeding and horse-racing will continue to influence the industry as we know it.

He is perhaps best known, as the man that started the Golden Slipper race but his contributions are found in every facet of thoroughbred horse racing.

Ryder would revolutionise racing and breeding through his Woodlands Stud, introduce more black type fillies and mares races, develop syndication, even race barriers, administration techniques and countless other crucial examples that are for the betterment of the industry.

All Shot, by Idomeneo (GB) won the inaugural George Ryder Stakes in 1973 and the eleven-time stakes winner was a class sprinter-miler.

Amongst his wins were a VATC Toorak Handicap, VRC George Adams, AJC All-Aged Stakes, AJC George Main Stakes, VATC C.F. Orr Stakes and a VRC Craiglee Stakes.

Manikato won in 1979 and repeated the following year, when the race gained official G1 status, with the Manihi gelding now a turf legend that won twenty five stakes races, including four VATC Futurity Stakes, three of which were at G1.

Two other famous dual winners were the great grey filly/mare Emancipation (1983-84) and the ageless Campaign King (1987-88).

1985 saw the George Ryder contested over 1450m and won by Hula Drum for trainer Bart Cummings, with Ron Quinton getting a hattrick, after riding Emancipation in the two previous runnings.

Heat Of The Moment won the first running of the race over 1500m in 1986 for trainer Neville Begg, who had also produced Emancipation for her two memorable victories.

Campaign King gave Bart Cummings his second and third wins in the race and the son of Saarond (GB) would win seven times at G1 level.

Some exciting track and/or future stud winners in the 90's included Bureaucracy (1991), Kinjite (1992), the brilliant sprinter Schillaci (1993), Telesto (1994), March Hare (1995), and Mouawad (1997).

The last two runnings of the race have come under the name of Darley Stakes, which is the title now for the WFA 1500m and trainer John Hawkes has won them both, with Lord Essex (2002) and Lonhro last year.

Hawkes will be going for a hat-trick this year and could join Neville Begg and Bart Cummings, as three-time winning trainers of the racer over the last twenty five years.

Jack Denham is the other trainer going for three this year, after wins with Command Module (1978) and Bureaucracy (1991).

Darren Beadman will be looking for his third winner in the race, after riding March Hare (1995) for trainer John Morish and Lonhro for John Hawkes last year.

Also gunning for three is Rod Quinn, after Command Module (1978) and Lord Essex (2002), while Corey Bown scored on Referral (1999) and Landsighting (2001).

The last three-year-old to win the race was Mouawad (1997) and the last filly was Heat Of The Moment (1986).

Eleven of the last twenty winners have been four or five-year-olds, with the last six being of that age group.

The last three winners interestingly, all different names, have started with the letter "L".