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Such an elite race and form provider is the New Zealand Derby run at Ellerslie on Saturday.

So many good horses have won the Derby and gone on to even bigger things like Bonecrusher did. Is there another top drawer stayer who wins the 2020 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday?

2020 NEW ZEALAND DERBY - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

The New Zealand Derby is a Group 1 race run under Set Weight conditions for three year olds at Ellerslie race course conducted by the Auckland Racing Club.

The New Zealand Derby is run over 2400m. It was first run in 1860 and was won by Ada.

The New Zealand Derby became one race in 1973 following the amalgamation of the original New Zealand Derby and the Great Northern Derby. When Riccarton lost the NZ Derby, they received the two Guineas races.

After being run on Boxing Day for many years, it was moved to March as part of the Auckland Cup carnival in 2006.

Some of the more famous older winners are Nightmarch who won a Cox Plate and a Melbourne Cup, the champion Gloaming who won multiple Derbies and numerous races on both sides of the Tasman and Dalray who won the 1952 Melbourne Cup. Balmerino won before great Australian and Northern Hemisphere deeds.

Then there was the Cox Plate era with Bonecrusher, Surfers Paradise, The Phantom Chance and placings with Silent Achiever and Jimmy Choux.

Mongolian Khan was another to be a dual Derby winner and then came back to also win a Caulfield Cup showing a love of the mile and a half.

Only four fillies have won in the last 35 years (Tidal Light, Popsy, Silent Achiever and Habibi).

In recent times, two Australian 3yos went to Ellerslie and won the Derby – Redoute's Dancer in 2007 and Coniston Bluebird in 2009.

Crown Prosecutor won the 2019 NZ Derby at around 100-1.

Of late Roger James has most successes as trainer with four while Vinnie Colgan has ridden the most Derby winners with six.

The New Zealand Derby was worth NZ$1,000,000 in 2020.

Notable winners of the New Zealand Derby include Gingernuts (2017), Mongolian Khan (2015), Silent Achiever (2012), Jimmy Choux (2011), C'Est La Guerre (2008), Xcellent (2004), Hail (2000), Zonda (1997), Roysyn (1995), Popsy (1993), The Phantom Chance (1992), Surfers Paradise (1990), Castletown (1989), Tidal Light (1986), Bonecrusher (1985), Balmerino (1975), Furys Order (1973), Roman Consul (1965), Up And Coming (1958), Nightmarch (1928), Gloaming (1918) and Desert Gold (1915).

The 2019 New Zealand Derby was won by Crown Prosecutor from In A Twinkling and Platinum Invador.