Macau Derby ? Race Details:
When:	May
Track Location:	Taipa Racecourse
Race Distance:	1800m
Race Status:	Group 1
Race Conditions:	Four-year-olds
Stakes:	HK$2.6million

The Macau Derby is the second jewel in the coveted Triple Crown for four-year-olds. It is raced over 1800m, which is a 300m increase from the first race of the series the Macau Guineas. Held at the Taipa Racecourse in May annually, this Group 1 event is worth HK$2.6million.

The Macau Derby Trial (1500m) held in March is an excellent lead-up to the Macau Derby, so keep an eye on the winners and placegetters in this trial race as an indication for your Macau Derby bets. Also, many horses on the field for the Derby will have come via the Macau Guineas hoping to continue with their Triple Crown dreams.

When Sunshine Sure Win won the Derby in 2009, following up his victory in the first Triple Crown race the Macau Guineas, he earned his owner T.K. Cheng a HK$500 000 bonus for winning two of the three legs in the series.

Australian horses have had a strong presence in the Macau Derby in recent years, with the top three placegetters in the 2009 race all Australian-bred runners, Sunshine Sure Win, Ecstatic Macau and Golden Pistols.

Many runners in the Macau Derby are then aimed at the final jewel in the Triple Crown, the Macau Gold Cup later in the month. Horses who perform well in the Derby, gain valuable experience on the Taipa track, and meet the challenge of the increased distance from the first Macau Triple Crown race are usually well favoured in the betting markets for the Gold Cup as it is run over the same distance of 1800m.

2009 Result:

Winner: Sunshine Sure Win
Trainer: Y.Y. Choy
Jockey: M. Nunes
Owner: T.K. Cheng
Time: 1:49.3
Margin: A head

Runner-Up: Ecstatic Macau
Jockey: B Stanley

Third: Golden Pistols
Jockey: F Durso