2023 Victoria Derby Results

• 1st: #4 Riff Rocket ($2.20F)
• 2nd: #1 Apulia
• 3rd: #5 Sunsets

The Victoria Derby 2023 Results will be announced here naming which horse is the Victoria Derby 2023 winner and the full 2023 VRC Derby finishing order when the event takes place on Saturday November 4, 2023.

Chris Waller’s progressive young stayer Riff Rocket ($2.20F) was brave off a gun ride by jockey James McDonald holding off a late challenge by the flying Apulia to salute for the favourite backers in the Victoria Derby 2023 results.

Click here for more on the narrow win by the favourite Riff Rocket in the 2023 VRC Derby results.

2023 Victoria Derby Results & Finishing Order

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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As the first of the major Group 1 races held during the annual Melbourne Cup Carnival the Victoria Derby tips are some of the most sought after of the spring.

Each season the Group 1 $2 million Victoria Derby (2500m) attracts a field of the best current three-year-old stayers and the race runs at Flemington Racecourse on the Saturday before Melbourne Cup Day on the first Tuesday of November.

As soon as the Victoria Derby field is released on the Tuesday before race day, punters are chasing the Victoria Derby tips.

2023 Victoria Derby Tips

The 2023 Victoria Derby tips will be published right here as soon as the final field and betting markets from Ladbrokes.com.au are released the week of the race.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR COMPLETE 2023 VICTORIA DERBY TIPS & BEST BETS

To Win: #1 Apulia ($3.90 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Happy to stick with the Vase winner who was so good at The Valley winning over the 2040m by two lengths. The Team Hayes-trained colt is well-bred being a son of a former Melbourne Cup winner (Fiorente) so think the step-up in distance to 2500m is a non-issue. Draws a treat in barrier three for the grand final and Mark Zahra, gearing up for his Melbourne Cup ride aboard Without A Fight on Tuesday, continues associations. Right form, right hoop, good draw, bred to win.

The Danger: #4 Riff Rocket ($2.45 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Excitement machine Riff Rocket is on show again and is looking to get back in favour with the punters after getting rolled by Sunsets as the beaten odds-on pick in the Group 3 Caulfield Classic last start. Prior to that he bolted home with a 5.5 length demolition job in the Listed Super Impose (1800m) here at headquarters where he will appreciate returning to. Needs to get the distance but looks like he is worth forgiving with a gun gate here (5) and J Mac out to produce some magic on a very promising young star in the making.

Best Roughie: #3 Air Assault ($14 at time of publish) – BET NOW

We have a wide-open market outside the dominant two top picks in this year’s Derby with a host of double-figure fancies out for an upset. Sticking with one of the safer roughies and not a rogue outsider though in Air Assault who is has been racing very consistently. The Andrew Gluyas-trained South Australian gets the run of the race from gate six with Ben Allen in the saddle. In easier grade at home he won Morphettville’s Listed Hill Smith Stakes (1800m) by over three lengths two back. Third at his latest in the Vase, well beaten by Apulia but still in touch. Can surprise a few here.

Victoria Derby Favourite

Many Victoria Derby tips favour the shortest-priced three-year-old in the Victoria Derby betting markets, but backing the Victoria Derby favourite historically hasn’t been the best for punters.

From 2006 – 2023 just four of the Victoria Derby winners jumped favourite in the markets: Efficient (2006), Tarzino (2015), Ace High (2017), Hitotsu (2021) and most recently Riff Rocket ($2.20 in 2023).

In total from 1983 – 2019 just eight Victoria Derby favourites were successful.

A better Victoria Derby betting tip then is to lay the favourite and back a longer-priced runner in the Victoria Derby odds.

Plenty of double-figure outsiders have been successful in the race including Manzoice ($21 in 2022), Johnny Get Angry ($21 in 2020), Prized Icon ($17 in 2016), Fiveandahalfstar ($41 in 2012), Sangster ($13 in 2011), Lion Tamer ($13 in 2010) and even triple-figure roughie Rebel Raider ($101 in 2007) so don’t be afraid to include a longer-priced three-year-old in your 2023 Victoria Derby Tips.

Victoria Derby Lead Up Races

When it comes to Victoria Derby tips one of the key things to consider is the lead-up races and runs of the youngsters in the field.

Checking out the full Victoria Derby form guide provided at an online bookmaker like Ladbrokes.com.au or right here at Races.com.au is a top Victoria Derby tip as it can uncover real value in the markets.

Traditionally the key Victoria Derby lead-up race is the the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) run the Saturday before on Cox Plate Day. The last Victoria Derby winner to come off a run in the MV Vase was Johnny Get Angry (3rd in 2020), while the last to complete the double was Efficient (2008).

The other standout Victoria Derby lead-up race is the Norman Robinson Stakes – now known as the Group 3 Caulfield Classic (2000m) and run on Caulfield Cup Day a fortnight before VRC Derby Day.

Polanski (2013) was the last horse to complete the Caulfield Classic – Victoria Derby double, while in 2019 the Victoria Derby winner Warning improved on a lead-up second in the Caulfield Classic from Caulfield Cup Day.

Riff Rocket (2nd in 2023) was the last Victoria Derby winner to come via a lead-up run in the Caulfield Classic.