The major three-year-olds’ race of the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival takes place at Eagle Farm Racecourse on Saturday with the Queensland Derby 2014 one of the day’s major draw cards.

Vilanova is looking to hand trainer Chris Waller with back-to-back Queensland Derby wins. Photo: Daniel Costello.

Running as Eagle Farm Race 7 at 3:00pm the $500,000 Group 1 Channel Seven Queensland Derby (2400m) has this year drawn a full field of 18 starters and two emergency runners.

Just three of the acceptors though are under $10 in the latest Queensland Derby odds at Ladbrokes.com.au that are led by the Chris Waller-trained Vilanova ($4.50) who has firmed back into favouritism.

There was a drift on the Commands gelding, to be ridden by Nash Rawiller, after they drew barrier 15 for their maiden Group 1 run.

They’ve since shortened again however with punters getting back on board for them to post back-to-back Brisbane wins following their victory in the Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) at Doomben on May 24 over a similar field.

Grand Prix runner-up Pinstripe Lane then occupies the second line of betting at $4.60 having drawn better in barrier nine while the third fancy paying $5 is the rails-drawn Elusive Runner up in class for their Queensland debut.

There could be some nice value in this year’s Derby however with some smart types at good odds including Rough Habit winner Amexed ($14), and New Zealand-trained fillies Telepathic ($12) and Queensland Oaks fourth placed Rock Diva ($11).

So to help you sort the pretenders from the genuine contenders we’ve gone over the Queensland Derby field, form guide and betting history to come up with the below must know stats.

2014 Queensland Derby Form Facts & Betting Stats

• Last year’s Queensland Derby winner was the Chris Waller-trained Hawkspur who came off victories in the Rough Habit Plate and Grand Prix Stakes, jumped from barrier three (of 18) and was ridden by Jim Cassidy
• Waller is back on Saturday shooting for successive victories in the race with the current favourite #2 Vilanova ($4.50) who will start from barrier 13 if the two emergencies come out

• Vilanova is also after the Grand Prix Stakes – Derby double achieved by their stable mate last year
• This year’s Rough Habit Plate winner #1 Amexed ($11) is also in the mix looking to improve on their Grand Prix fourth last time out
• Along with #2 Vilanova the other last start winners in the race are then #7 Sonntag (3YO Handicap, 2000m, Caulfield, 17/05/2014), #12 Pop ‘N’ Scotch (3YO Handicap, 2220m, Doomben, 28/05/2014) and #14 Meteorologist (3YO Handicap, 1800m, Gold Coast, 31/05/2014)

• The Grand Prix Stakes has produced four of the past 10 Queensland Derby winners including Hawkspur last year
• Horses that come via the race this year are Vilanova (1^st), Pinstripe Lane (2^nd), Rudy (3^rd), Amexed (4^th), Telepathic (5^th), Auberge (6^th), Bring Back (8^th) and Colonel Carrera (12^th)
• In the past 10 years two Queensland Derby winners came via a run in the Queensland Oaks with Dariana (2010) and Riva San (2008)
• This year #16 Rock Diva ($11) is the only filly coming via the Oaks from last Saturday
• Last year’s winning barrier (3) meanwhile on Saturday belongs to #6 Bring Back ($51) who is looking to become the third winner from that gate since 1983
• The most successful Queensland Derby barrier in that time has been four with four winners; this year the second emergency #20e Deckhand ($81) drew barrier four and the first emergency #19e Lever Lever ($101) has barrier five so if neither gain a start gate four will belong to #8 Outstrip ($81)
• Favourites have won three of the past 10 Queensland Derbies; all three of those have been in the past three years with Shootoff (2011), Brambles (2012) and Hawkspur (2013)
• #2 Vilanova ($4.50) is current favourite but it’s a tight betting battle between them #4 Pinstripe Lane ($4.60) and #11 Elusive Runner ($5)
• The best Win Rate of the field belongs to #3 Rudy (38%) and #17 Telepathic (38%) followed by #13 Our Uncle Archie (30%), #7 Sonntag (29%), #12 Pop ‘n’ Scotch (29%), #16 Rock Diva (29%), #1 Amexed (25%) and #5 Happy As Hell (25%)
• The highest Place Percentage then belongs to #11 Elusive Runner (80%) followed by #17 Telepathic (75%), #16 Rock Diva (71%), #1 Amexed (63%), #18 Granados (60%), #7 Sonntag (57%), #3 Rudy (54%), #5 Happy As Hell (50%); first emergency #19e Lever Lever meanwhile has a 100% place rate but may not get a run
• Only four in the field have had a previous start over the distance (2400m) with #15 Auberge (1-1-0-0), #16 Rock Diva (2-0-0-1), #4 Happy As Hell (1-0-0-1) and #10 Colonel Carrera (1-0-0-0)
• Just seven have raced at Eagle Farm before with #3 Rudy (4-1-0-1), #14 Meterologist (2-1-0-0), #18 Granados (1-1-0-0), #8 Outstrip (7-0-2-2), #2 Vilanova (2-0-1-0), #1 Amexed (1-0-0-1) and #16 Rock Diva (1-0-0-0)

Stay tuned to Races.com.au to view our insider Queensland Derby 2014 betting tips to be published before the weekend.

In the meantime back your current selections online now at Ladbrokes.com.au knowing you are locking in the guaranteed best prices thanks to their Best Tote or SP markets!

2014 Queensland Derby Field & Form Guide