Horse Racing

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. 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.