The boys fought back in the WATC Derby 2017 results at Ascot Racecourse on Saturday with Gatting beating home the Oaks winning filly Very Tempting to end the winning streak of the girls in the autumn classic.

The past two years have seen the Grant Williams-trained Delicacy (2015) and Arcadia Dream (2016) beat home the colts and geldings in the mile and a half feature.

This season however it was the Darren McAuliffe-trained Hard Spun gelding Gatting who got the bikkies in the $400,000 Group 2 W.A.T.C. Derby (2400m).

Continuing his gun record at the track that now stands at four wins, two seconds and a third from eight starts, Gatting was given a perfectly timed ride from French hoop Matthieu Autier.

Autier got Gatting into a lovely position just off the pace in a muddling-run race, before taking advantage of a gap once on the straight.

Getting into clear ground, Gatting ($4.40) moved through to take the lead from Chill The Champers with 200m left to travel finishing off strongly.

In the end the WATC Derby winner had one and three-quarter lengths to spare over the Williams-trained WA Oaks winner Very Tempting ($3.40), who had excuses after getting held-up after coming around the final turn.

“When he [Autier] pressed the button at the top of the straight, he just ran away from them,” McAuliffe told the media post-win on Saturday.

“There were probably a few hard-luck stories. It was a muddling-run race.”

Adding value to the WATC Derby trifecta, the Fred Kersley-trained Artie Schiller filly Chill The Champers improved on her fifth in the Group 3 WA Oaks (2400m) a week earlier to finish third as a $101 roughie in betting.

It was a magic WATC Derby result for the large group of connections that own the pint-sized three-year-old, Gatting having overcome a number of early career interruptions including a fractured skull only last year.

“[It’s] a dream come true,” the Lark Hill-based McAuliffe added.

“I’ve never had one like him. He’s just not a stereotypical Derby horse.

“He just keeps doing it and I’m very proud of him.”

Winning jockey Autier commented that he had to fight to get the young stayer to settle in running, but that Gatting’s powerful late burst was what won the race.

“He’s just got the best turn of foot for stayers,” he said.

There is a chance McAuliffe and co. could be tempted to head to Adelaide later in the season with Gatting shooting for a win in the $600,000 Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m).

Last year’s WA Derby winner Arcadia Dream failed to fire at Morphettville when dead last (16^th) in the South Australian Derby, but her stablemate Delicacy completed the double twelve months earlier in 2015.

To back your early selections for the 2017 SA Derby, head to Ladbrokes.com.au now.

2017 WATC Derby Results & Finishing Order

Ascot Race 8 – 08/04/2017

Place	#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Br.	Wgt.	SP
1	1	GATTING	Darren Mcauliffe	Matthieu Autier	–	4	56.5kg	$4.40
2	13	VERY TEMPTING	Grant & Alana Williams	Chris Parnham	1.75L	12	54.5kg	$3.40
3	16	CHILL THE CHAMPERS	Fred Kersley	Clint Johnston-Porter (a)	2.75L	14	54.5kg	$101
4	15	JUST LIKE FIRE (NZ)	Julie Clements	Shaun O’Donnell	3L	8	54.5kg	$17
5	2	FINAL SALUTE	Grant & Alana Williams	Peter Hall	4L	6	56.5kg	$5.50
6	4	AT THE READY	G Durrant & J Miller	Daniel Staeck	4.75L	1	56.5kg	$9
7	7	VINTRUSIVE	Daniel Morton	Brad Parnham	6.25L	2	56.5kg	$26
8	9	ROCK WITH YOU	Leon & Troy Corstens	Jarrad Noske	6.5L	11	56.5kg	$4.60
9	6	KHAWAJA	Sharon Miller	Glenn Smith	7L	9	56.5kg	$41
10	11	GOLGOTHA	Lindsey Smith	Patrick Carbery	8.25L	5	56.5kg	$71
11	8	TAXAGANO	Stan Bates	Jason Whiting	8.75L	15	56.5kg	$16
12	5	TRAP FOR FOOLS	Lindsey Smith	Peter Knuckey	10.25L	13	56.5kg	$41
13	3	DUKEAZZA	Sharon Miller	Troy Turner	11L	10	56.5kg	$81
14	10	MYCROFT	Duane Kitchingman	Ryan Hill	11.5L	7	56.5kg	$61
15	12	MASTER MAGICIAN	Darren Mcauliffe	Joseph Azzopardi	12L	3	56.5kg	$91
–	14	ROYAL STAR	Grant & Alana Williams	William Pike	–	6	–	–