Horse Racing

The 2009 Victoria Derby: Saturday, 31st October 2009

The AAMI Victoria Derby is one of the best classic races held at Flemington as part of the prestigious and highly anticipated Victorian Spring Racing Carnival. This 2500m staying race, run on a left-handed turf course, takes place on the first day of the four day Flemington meeting each year on the Saturday before the famous Melbourne Cup. A Group 1 event for three-year-olds at set weights, the race is worth over $1.5million.

The Victoria Derby is the highlight event on Derby Day. Derby Day is one of the most exciting and elite meetings of the entire carnival as every race on the card holds group status, including three other fantastic Group 1 races, the LKS Mackinnon Stakes, Coolmore Stud Stakes and Myer Classic.

Punters can study the form of the horses in the traditional prep race to the Derby, the AAMI Vase (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate day the weekend before. This lead-up event has been an excellent indication for the Victoria Derby in recent years, with many Derby winners coming via this middle distance race.

The Victoria Derby attracts a huge number of bets each year, and Derby day boasts the largest crowd attendance of any of the carnival?s race days. With so many spectators and punters, the betting markets on the Derby are always competitive and lucrative. The Victoria Derby also features in a number of popular betting doubles, including the Victoria Derby ? Cox Plate double; Red Anchor (1984) was the last horse to take out this double.

Victoria Derby History

The Victoria Derby was first run in 1885, when Rose of May won, making it one of Australia?s oldest flat races. It started as a principal race run over 12 furlongs (1 ? miles). The race distance was converted to 2400m in 1972 to conform to the metric system. The following year the length was increased 100m to its current distance of 2500m for safety reasons, as the previous length meant runners didn?t have enough distance between the start and first turn on the track. Not long after in 1979 the Derby acquired Group 1 status.

Male horses have dominated the Derby over the years, despite the first three winners all being fillies, with Frances Tressady back in 1923 being the last female to claim victory. Many Derby winners have gone on to become champions of the Australian Turf, including Nothin? Leica Dane (1995) who ran second in the Melbourne Cup the following Tuesday, Elvstroem (2003) who claimed victory in the following year?s Caulfield Cup, and the great grey stayer Efficient who won the Derby in 2006 and then secured a Melbourne Cup success the next year.

Only one horse in the races? long history has won two Victoria Derbies, Fireworks won the race two years in succession in 1867 and 1868.

Last 10 Years of Victoria Derby Winners