The season’s best three-year-old stayers take to the Randwick track on the weekend in the 2017 Australian Derby, a full form guide analysis and betting preview for which is detailed below.

Rosehill Guineas winner Gingernuts is favourite in 2017 ATC Derby betting this weekend at Royal Randwick. Photo: Steve Hart.

A final field of thirteen hopefuls is engaged for Randwick Race 7 at 3:50pm (AEDT) on Day 1 of ‘The Championships’ when the $2 million Group 1 BMW Australian Derby (2400m) is run and won.

In the latest Australian Derby odds at Ladbrokes.com.au the clear favourite is the gun Kiwi raider Gingernuts ($3.30) who chases his fifth win on the trot.

Two back the son if Iffraaj won the Group 1 NZ Derby (2400m) over the mile and a half, metres he gets back up to here after winning the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) in the mud last time out.

His biggest danger looking at Australian Derby betting this autumn is the Hawkes Racing-trained Rosehill Guineas runner-up Inference.

Two back the So You Think colt won the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) before he was beaten home over two lengths by the New Zealander on another Heavy (10) track.

No doubt Inference will improve getting more distance after his third in the Victoria Derby during the spring, but he faces a tough task turning the tables on his last start conqueror.

That’s the story told by the bookies, but what about the Australian Derby 2017 form guide, betting history and race statistics?

2017 Australian Derby Form Facts & Betting Stats

• Last year’s Australian Derby winner was the then New Zealand-trained Tavago (2016) for Trent Busuttin who came off a sixth in the NZ Derby, jumped from barrier one (of 13) and was ridden to victory by Tommy Berry in an upset at odds of $31
• Trent Busuttin (2-1-0-0) chases back-to-back Australian Derby wins by a trainer for the first time since Lee Freedman (1991-92) this weekend with #7 Anaheim ($8)
• The other previous ATC Derby winning trainers with a runner on Saturday are: Murray Baker (6-3-1-0) with #4 Jon Snow ($7), John Hawkes (20-3-3-1) with #3 Inference ($4.50), and Gerald Ryan (3-1-0-0) with #9 Harper’s Choice ($34)
• Tommy Berry (4-1-0-0) chases back-to-back Australian Derby wins by a jockey for the first time since Darren Beadman (2006-07) this year aboard #3 Inference
• The other previous ATC Derby winning jockeys with a ride this weekend are: Opie Bosson (2-1-0-0) on #2 Gingernuts and Hugh Bowman (11-1-1-0) on #7 Anaheim
• New Zealand horses have won the Australian Derby four times in the past decade with: No Du Jeu (2008), It’s A Dundeel (2013), Mongolian Khan (2015) and Tavago (2016)
• The Kiwi-trained raiders in the ATC Derby field 2017 are #2 Gingernuts ($3.30) and #4 Jon Snow ($7)

• Barrier 1 has produced the past three Australian Derby winners and six since 1983
• #7 Anaheim is drawn barrier one this weekend out to be the fourth ATC Derby champ in as many years from the inside alley
• The most successful Australian Derby barrier in that time producing seven winners is gate eight drawn on Saturday by #8 Ruthven ($21)
• The Rosehill Guineas has been the key ATC Derby form race to follow in the past 30 years including producing three of the past four winners
• #2 Gingernuts chases the Rosehill Guineas – Australian Derby double last achieved by Criterion (2014)

• The other Rosehill Guineas graduates backing-up in the Derby on Saturday are: Inference (2^nd), So Si Bon (3^rd), Anaheim (4^th), Harper’s Choice (5^th), Impavido (6^th), Hollywood Mo (7^th) and Prized Icon (10^th)
• The NZ Derby produced last year’s ATC Derby winner and this year Gingernuts (1^st) chases the double, while Jon Snow (3^rd) is the other NZ Derby runner in the mix in Sydney
• #4 Jon Snow ($7) is out to complete the Tulloch Stakes – ATC Derby double last achieved by Starcraft (2004)
• The only other race to produce an Australian Derby winner in the past eight years is the Alister Clark Stakes when Ethiopia improved on his lead-up second in 2012
• This year Hardham (1^st) and Ruthven (2^nd) are out to frank the Alister Clark form
• Australian Derby favourites have saluted for the punters just twice in the past decade; #2 Gingernuts is favourite in ATC Derby betting this autumn
• The highest Win Rate of the field belongs to #2 Gingernuts (63%) followed by #3 Inference (40%)
• The best Place Rate of the field belongs to #8 Ruthven (83%) followed by #3 Inference (80%)
• The previous winners at the Randwick track are: #1 Prized Icon (8-2-1-3) and #3 Inference (1-1-0-0)

• #9 Harper’s Choice (3-0-2-0) has been to Randwick three times for two second place efforts
• The previous winners over the distance (2400m) are: #1 Prized Icon (1 from 1 over 2500m), #2 Gingernuts (1-1-0-0) and #13 Shine Tak Star (1-1-0-0)
• The proven Heavy track performers in the mix are: #2 Gingernuts (1-1-0-0), #3 Inference (2-1-1-0), #4 Jon Snow (2-1-1-0), #8 Ruthven (1-1-0-0) and #9 Harper’s Choice (3-1-0-0)

Stay tuned for our exclusive ATC Derby 2017 betting tips, checking out the full race form guide in the meantime provided by Ladbrokes.com.au.