Four Group 1 features run at Royal Randwick on Saturday including the season’s gun three-year-olds facing off in the Australian Derby 2015, the premium form guide and betting preview for the mile and a half classic found right here.

Rosehill Guineas winner Volkstok’n’barrell is after another Group 1 win down under in Saturday’s 2015 Australian Derby. Photo: Steve Hart.

This year’s $2 million Group 1 BMW Australian Derby (2400m) is due to jump as Randwick Race 7 at 3:50pm (AEDT) this Doncaster Mile Day, a field of only 10 hopefuls engaged for the lucrative showdown.

Leading the latest Australian Derby odds at Ladbrokes.com.au is $3.30 firming favourite Preferment who is in from $3.50.

Chris Waller’s talented Zabeel colt won the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) in Melbourne during the spring and is after his first win since this weekend.

He was brave in defeat last start when a nose away second behind Kiwi raider Volkstok’n’barrell in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m), which has produced five of the past six Australian Derby winners.

His biggest dangers of success on Saturday according to the bookies in the Australian Derby betting markets are fellow single-figure hopes Hauraki ($3.70) coming off a win in the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes, Rosehill Guineas winner Volkstok’n’barrell ($4.60) looking to become the third straight youngster to complete the double and fellow New Zealand-trained Group 1 winner Mongolian Khan ($8) with the rails run this weekend.

So are the dominant three-year-olds the ones to lock into your Australian Derby bets this autumn or does the form guide and betting reveal a longer priced chance for an upset result?

2015 Australian Derby Form Facts & Betting Stats

• Last year’s Australian Derby winner was the David Payne-trained Criterion who came off a Rosehill Guineas win, jumped from barrier one and was ridden by Hugh Bowman
• Criterion was the second horse in as many years to complete the Rosehill Guineas – Australian Derby double that #2 Volkstok’n’barrell ($4.60) shoots for this year
• Other Derby hopes coming out of the Rosehill Guineas on Saturday are Preferment (2^nd), Mongolian Khan (5^th) and Hampton Court (6^th)

• Payne is without a runner this year but the former Australian Derby winning trainers after more success on Saturday are: Murray Baker (5-2-1-0) with #3 Mongolian Khan, Bart Cummings (27-4-4-1) with #8 Ruling Dynasty who he trains in partnership with grandson James and Pat Carey (3-1-0-0) with #9 Bikila
• Bowman is also without a ride on Saturday but previous Australian Derby winning hoops in the mix in 2015 are: Damien Oliver (12-1-2-1) on #1 Preferment and James McDonald (2-1-0-0) on #5 Hauraki

• Last year’s Australian Derby winning barrier (1) this year belongs to #3 Mongolian Khan ($8)
• #3 Mongolian Khan is looking to become the third New Zealand-trained Australian Derby winner in the past 10 years along with the Murray Baker-trained duo of Nom Du Jeu (2008) and It’s A Dundeel (2013)
• The most successful Australian Derby barrier (since 1983) with seven wins is eight, which #8 Bikila ($201) jumps from this weekend
• The next best barriers historically are one and three with four winners each that belong this year to #3 Mongolian Khan and #6 Quick Strike ($15) respectively
• Favourites have won three of the past 10 Australian Derbies including the last two; this year’s favourite out to make it three on the trot is #1 Preferment ($3.30)

• #3 Mongolian Khan (75%) boasts the highest Win Rate of the field followed by #2 Volkstok’n’barrell (67%) and #5 Hauraki (50%)
• #2 Volkstok’n’barrell (100%) has a flawless Place Rate followed by #6 Quick Strike (78%) and #3 Mongolian Khan (75%)
• The two previous winners at the track are #4 Hampton Court (2-2-0-0) and #5 Hauraki (1-1-0-0)

• New Zealand Derby winner #3 Mongolian Khan (1-1-0-0) is the only runner in the race with winning form over the distance

Bookmark us here at Races.com.au for our insider Australian Derby 2015 betting tips up shortly.

Already have your own selections picked out? Then head over to the country’s premier online bookmaker Ladbrokes.com.au who are offering Best Tote or SP + 20% not only on the Derby but the three other Group 1s in Sydney this weekend!

2015 Australian Derby Form Guide