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The WATC Derby (Western Australia Turf Club Derby) is a Group 2 thoroughbred race at the Ascot Racecourse in Perth during the Perth Autumn Racing Carnival in April each year. Raced over the traditional derby distance of 2400m, it is an event for three-year-olds at set weights and is worth $400,000.

The WATC Derby was worth half a million dollars before being demoted from Group 1 status in 2011.

As Perth’s leading staying race for three-year-olds, the WATC Derby attracts a highly competitive field of quality runners, both locally and interstate.

The WATC Derby – also known as the Western Australian Derby – was one of the only Group 1 races held at Perth; the others at the time being the Railway Stakes (1600m) and the Kingston Town Classic (1800m), but was downgraded to a Group 2 status event so the Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) could gain elite level status in 2011.

Regal Power (2019) and Western Empire (2021) are the last horses to complete the WATC Derby – Railway Stakes double in the same year.

Regal Power went on to frank the form in Melbourne the following autumn with a second in Flemington’s Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) and a win in the second edition of the $5 million The All-Star Mile (1600m).

Western Empire meanwhile backed-up from his 2021 Railway Stakes victory to place second in the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) – now Northerly Stakes – behind Regal Power during an outstanding campaign.

As the highly prestigious Sydney Autumn Carnival is taking place around the same time in New South Wales, many of the top-line gallopers will be there contesting races like the Australian Derby and Australian Oaks. The WATC Derby winner, therefore, is usually an above average but not elite horse from a local Perth-based stable.

The WATC Derby form was franked in 2023 with the third placed filly, She’s Fit, going on to run second in Adelaide’s Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m).

The WATC Derby 2024 ran on Saturday April 13, 2024 at Ascot Racecourse in Perth on the same day Sydney hosted the $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick and was won in dominant fashion by A Lot Of Good Men ($5.50). 

2024 WATC Derby
Date:	Saturday April 13, 2024
Track:	Ascot Racecourse
Distance:	2400m
Conditions:	Three-year-olds at Set Weights
Status:	Group 2
Prize Money:	$400,000
Inaugurated:	1888

2024 WATC Derby Results

• 1st: #2 A Lot Of Good Men ($5.50)
• 2nd: #5 Buckets Ridge
• 3rd: #3 Lord Vampi

The Trevor Andrews-trained A Lot colt, A Lot Of Good Men ($5.50), improved on his lead-up Melvista Stakes second to dominate the 2024 WATC Derby results, turning the tables on his last start conqueror Buckets Ridge to win over the 2400m by over two lengths.

	Finish	No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Bar.	Weight	Penalty	Starting Price
	1	2	A LOT OF GOOD MEN	Trevor Andrews	Jarrad Noske		3	56.5kg		$5.50
	2	5	BUCKETS RIDGE	Grant & Alana Williams	William Pike	2.18L	9	56.5kg		$2.70F
	3	3	LORD VAMPI	Daniel & Ben Pearce	Mrs Lucy Fiore	2.39L	15	56.5kg		$12
	4	7	IN GOOD ORDER	Daniel Morton	Brad Parnham	4.41L	16	56.5kg		$18
	5	13	ROCKING SOCIETY	Jason Miller	Michael Poy	5.1L	11	56.5kg		$26
	6	4	AUTUMN REBEL	Darren McAuliffe	Joseph Azzopardi	6.28L	1	56.5kg		$41
	7	11	SIMPLY	Grant & Alana Williams	Patrick Carbery	6.84L	5	56.5kg		$31
	8	6	ALASKAN	Neville Parnham	Chris Parnham	7.49L	4	56.5kg		$12
	9	17e	BEACH PAD	Mitchell Pateman	Steven Parnham	8.48L	6	56.5kg		$101
	10	10	GRAND RESERVE	Daniel Morton	Ms Holly Watson	8.52L	8	56.5kg		$61
	11	8	ROYAL TORONADO	Grant & Alana Williams	Jason Whiting	8.66L	13	56.5kg		$31
	12	12	KNOCKONEBACK	Ashley Maley	Alan Kennedy	9.93L	12	56.5kg		$151
	13	14	OWN THE QUEEN	Justine Erkelens	Troy Turner	10.33L	10	54.5kg		$5.50
	14	16	FLASH OF DALLAS (NZ)	Grant & Alana Williams	Clint Johnston-Porter	13.28L	14	54.5kg		$16
	15	9	WHY ME	Steve Wolfe	Shaun McGruddy	23.54L	2	56.5kg		$31
	16	15	STARATING	Greg Kersley	Jordan Turner	28.01L	7	54.5kg		$41
		19e	MANZOR MAGIC (NZ)	Grant & Alana Williams			0
		18e	SHE’S PERFECTION	Daniel Morton			0
		1	ZIPAWAY	Neville Parnham	Steven Parnham		0

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

2024 WATC Derby Betting Odds

The season’s latest WATC Derby 2024 odds and betting market links to Ladbrokes.com.au will be available below.

Western Empire ($1.30 in 2021) was the last WATC Derby favourite to salute.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2024 WATC DERBY ODDS (Final Field)

2024 WATC Derby Form

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2024 WATC DERBY FORM GUIDE

2024 WATC Derby Tips

Stay tuned for our insider WATC Derby 2024 Tips on the three-year-olds to back in the Group 2 feature this autumn.

• To Win: #6 Alaskan ($13 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Zipaway’s scratching throws the WATC Derby wide open, forcing a complete reshuffling of our predictions and the overall race dynamics. This unexpected development presents a golden opportunity for an upset. Enter Alaskan, a previously overlooked runner with solid credentials to challenge for victory. Trained by Neville Parnham, Alaskan boasts prior winning form at Ascot and has followed a strategic path to peak for the Derby. Two runs back, he finished a close second (beaten by a length) in the Listed JC Roberts (1800m) at a hefty outsider price (20/1). His last start here saw him run a respectable fourth in the Melvista (2200m), two lengths behind the new Derby favourite, Buckets Ridge. With a favourable barrier draw and jockey Chris Parnham retaining the ride, Alaskan has the potential to surprise many in this wide-open race. We believe he has the stamina for the distance and the talent to cause an upset.

2024 WATC Derby Field

Female runners in the WATC Derby field will likely have raced in the Group 3 WA Oaks (2400m) the week before or the Group 3 WA Champion Fillies (1600m) in February, so look for the dominant fillies in these set weight races as an indication for the WATC Derby as well as those gallopers that have proven themselves able to last the 2400m distance.

Tuscan Queen (2020) was the last filly to complete the WA Oaks – WATC Derby double.

Another good lead-up to the WATC Derby field is the Listed Melvista Stakes (2200m) in March, a race the 2017 winner Gatting won in the lead-up to the Group 2 before Action (2018) improved on a lead-up fifth in to salute in the WA Derby results by four lengths.

Regal Power (2019), Western Empire (2021) and Alaskan God (2022) are the latest horses to do the Melvista Stakes – WATC Derby double.

In 2024 Buckets Ridge and A Lot Of Good Men ran first and second in the Melvista, and then finished in the reverse order with a Lot Of Good Men turning the tables to win the WATC Derby over Buckets Ridge next start.

The official 2024 WATC Derby field will be announced below once final acceptances close on the Wednesday of race week.

Grant & Alana Williams’ last start Melvista Stakes winner Buckets Ridge heads the 2024 WATC Derby field and betting markets at Ascot this weekend following the early scratching of Zipaway (hind foot abscess).

• Scratched: #1 Zipaway (2)

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	x11413x303	ZIPAWAY	Neville Parnham	Steven Parnham	2	56.5kg		100
2	7532563242	A LOT OF GOOD MEN	Trevor Andrews	Jarrad Noske	4	56.5kg		84
3	215×2116	LORD VAMPI	Daniel & Ben Pearce	Mrs Lucy Fiore	18	56.5kg		74
4	5171117668	AUTUMN REBEL	Darren McAuliffe	Joseph Azzopardi	1	56.5kg		71
5	9x11x06501	BUCKETS RIDGE	Grant & Alana Williams	William Pike	10	56.5kg		74
6	x362411024	ALASKAN	Neville Parnham	Chris Parnham	5	56.5kg		70
7	2101×99453	IN GOOD ORDER	Daniel Morton	Brad Parnham	19	56.5kg		68
8	4131×25469	ROYAL TORONADO	Grant & Alana Williams	Jason Whiting	14	56.5kg		65
9	x757x24134	WHY ME	Steve Wolfe	Shaun McGruddy	3	56.5kg		60
10	754×70101	GRAND RESERVE	Daniel Morton	Ms Holly Watson	9	56.5kg		65
11	742×43133	SIMPLY	Grant & Alana Williams	Patrick Carbery	6	56.5kg		62
12	389×868313	KNOCKONEBACK	Ashley Maley	Alan Kennedy	13	56.5kg		62
13	53×8315	ROCKING SOCIETY	Jason Miller	Michael Poy	12	56.5kg		62
14	811111	OWN THE QUEEN	Justine Erkelens	Troy Turner	11	54.5kg		80
15	24×13325	STARATING	Greg Kersley	Jordan Turner	8	54.5kg		66
16	643	FLASH OF DALLAS (NZ)	Grant & Alana Williams	Clint Johnston-Porter	16	54.5kg		66
17e	180	BEACH PAD	Mitchell Pateman		7	56.5kg		62
18e	8×06666	SHE’S PERFECTION	Daniel Morton		15	54.5kg		53
19e	3×50525	MANZOR MAGIC (NZ)	Grant & Alana Williams		17	56.5kg		59

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2024 WATC Derby Nominations

Nominations for the WATC Derby in 2024 are taken the Tuesday of race week and will be published in full below once announced.

The 2024 WATC Derby nominations close on Tuesday the 9th of April, 2024. 

WATC Derby History

First run in 1888 when Harridan claimed victory, the WATC Derby is one of the oldest and most prominent races in Perth. Beginning as a Principal race run over 12 furlongs, the race distance was converted into 2400m in 1972. It reached Group 1 status soon after in 1979 and 1987 is the only time in its long history when the race was not held.

The WATC Derby was downgraded back to a Group 2 event in 2011. The fillies have a strong recent record in WATC Derby history including wins by Delicacy (2015), Arcadia Dream (2016) and Tuscan Queen (2020).

Other notable WATC Derby winners include Plastered (2005), Grand Journey (2008), Respondent (2014), and subsequent The All-Star Mile champion Regal Power (2019).

Recent WATC Derby Winners

The full list of WATC Derby winners and place-getters going back to 2000 are found below.

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2024 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	A Lot Of Good Men	2 minutes 29.80 seconds
	2nd	Buckets Ridge
	3rd	Lord Vampi
2023 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Awesome John	2 minutes 32.06 seconds
	2nd	Another Chino
	3rd	She’s Fit
2022 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Alaskan God	2 minutes 31.71 seconds
	2nd	Pale Rider
	3rd	Black Fantasy
2021 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Western Empire	2 minutes 30.91 seconds
	2nd	Temptacion
	3rd	Kerman Rock
2020 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Tuscan Queen	2 minutes 32.24 seconds
	2nd	Red Hot Tip
	3rd	Criminal Code
2019 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Regal Power	2 minutes 30.69 seconds
	2nd	Cockney Crew
	3rd	Ping Me Another
2018 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Action	2 minutes 29.92 seconds
	2nd	Like A Butterfly
	3rd	Media Baron
2017 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Gatting	2 minutes 30.33 seconds
	2nd	Very Tempting
	3rd	Chill The Champers
2016 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Arcadia Dream	2 minutes 31.3 seconds
	2nd	Who Dat Singa
	3rd	Culverin
2015 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Delicacy	2 minutes 38.23 seconds
	2nd	Keysbrook
	3rd	Boom Time
2014 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Respondent	2 minutes 29.59 seconds
	2nd	Ihtsahymn
	3rd	Real Love
2013 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Mystic Prince	2 minutes 31.43 seconds
	2nd	Moreish
	3rd	Desert Glow
2012 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Rohan	2 minutes 34.5 seconds
	2nd	Flashy Fella
	3rd	The Social Network
2011 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Dreamaway	2 minutes 30.7 seconds
	2nd	Playing God
	3rd	Rio Danek
2010 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Chartreux	2 minutes 27.96 seconds
	2nd	Bridgestone
	3rd	Brother Mak
2009 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Marcus Maximus	2 minutes 31.2 seconds
	2nd	Berlioz
	3rd	Phenomenons
2008 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Grand Journey	2 minutes 28.8 seconds
	2nd	Yuro
	3rd	Star Encounter
2007 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Guyno	2 minutes 29 seconds
	2nd	Ballack
	3rd	Original Lovalover
2006 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Catsfun	2 minutes 29.7 seconds
	2nd	Raise A Call
	3rd	Scenic Shot
2005 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Plastered	2: minutes 31.3 seconds
	2nd	Royal Drive
	3rd	Master Minx
2004 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Mr Sandgroper	2 minutes 36.2 seconds
	2nd	Fatal Attraction
	3rd	Cr. Prosecutor / Magic
2003 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Shirazamatazz	2 minutes 32.8 seconds
	2nd	Conspirator
	3rd	Golden Prospect
2002 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Honor Lap	2 minutes 31.5 seconds
	2nd	Lord Mason
	3rd	Storm Fille
2001 W.A.T.C. Derby	Race Not Held
2000 W.A.T.C. Derby	1st	Old Money	2 minutes 30.4 seconds
	2nd	Tingling
	3rd	Grand Turismo

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