ATC Australian Derby
Australia | FEATURE RACE GUIDE
History
The ATC Australian Derby is a Group 1 classic race for three year olds conducted by the Australian Turf Club at Randwick. It is Australia's best Derby.
The ATC Australian Derby was first run in 1861 won by Kyogle.
The ATC Australian Derby is run over the classic distance 2400m under Set Weight conditions.
Nine fillies have won the ATC Australian Derby but only four in the last 70 years. Recent winners include Shamrocker (2011), Research (1989), Tristarc (1985) and Rose Of Kingston (1982).
TJ Smith holds the record with a brilliant nine victories with Bart Cummings second with five and Murray Baker joined him in 2020.
Older jockeys have won the most with Tom Hales (6), George Moore (5) and Darby Munro (5) heading the list.
In 1961, Blue Era (Mel Schumacher) won the race but lost it when stewards saw the footage of Tommy Hill's leg being pulled aboard Summer Fair.
Dulcify won the 1979 Derby on protest in the first one run in the Autumn.
The last 3yo to run in the Tancred Stakes as its final lead up to the Derby was Gold Guru in 1998. That was also the last time one came through an open age race.
New Zealand stayers have shown their pedigree in the Derby. 6 of the last 16 have come from across the Tasman. Murray Baker has five of those.
Victoria Derby-ATC Derby double (in Autumn) - Dulcify (1978-79), Mahogany (1993-94), Hitotsu (2021-22) and Riff Rocket (2023-2024). It was much more prevalent when both were run in the Spring.
Spring Champion-ATC Derby double - Kingston Town (1979-1980), Beau Zam (1987-88), Fairway (1999-2000), Universal Prince (2000-01), Dundeel (2012-13).
The Rosehill Guineas is the obvious lead up with 14 of the last 30 coming through that 3yo G1 but not always winning it which is surprising.
Rosehill Guineas-ATC Derby double – it has happened 21 times but in the last 30 years, only 7 times (Innocent King (1993), Octagonal (1996), Sky Heights (1999), Eremein (2005), Dundeel (2013), Criterion (2014), Riff Rocket (2024)).
Four recent Derby winners all won the Tulloch Stakes and backed up to win. It was the runner up from the Tulloch who scored in 2023.
The Tasmanian Derby winner Explosive Jack caused a bit of a surprise in winning in 2021. He'd then prove it wasn't by also winning the South Australian Derby to make it three Derbies.
Hitotsu scored an amazing victory by taking his second Derby in just eight starts. Incredibly both those wins were off mile outings in Guineas.
Autumn Triple Crown (Rand/Cant Guineas, Rosehill Guineas, ATC Derby) - Moorland (1943), Martello Towers (1959), Imagele (1973), Octagonal (1996), Dundeel (2013).
ATC Derby-ATC Oaks double - Research (1989).
The inside barrier won three editions in a row recently (Tavago, Mongolian Khan, Criterion).
Favourites haven't had a great record of recent times despite being a set weights event. On only 8 occasions in the last 32 years have they won.
Gai Waterhouse had been training for around 30 years but she finally got a home Derby win, now with Adrian Bott, as Major Beel staved them off in 2023.
Chris Waller winning with Riff Rocket left the Canterbury Stakes at the time as the only Sydney G1 he was yet to win.
Riff Rocket became one of the few 3yos to win the Victoria Derby/Rosehill Guineas/Australian Derby treble.
The 2024 ATC Australian Derby was worth $2,000,000.
Notable winners include The Barb (1866), Grand Flaneur (1880), Poseidon (1906), Gloaming (1918), Heroic (1924), Manfred (1925), Phar Lap (1929), Peter Pan (1932), Hall Mark (1933), Tulloch (1957), Imagele (1973), Dulcify (1979), Kingston Town (1980), Strawberry Road (1983), Bonecrusher (1986), Beau Zam (1988), Mahogany (1994), Octagonal (1996), Dundeel (2013), Hitotsu (2022) and Riff Rocket (2024).
The 2024 ATC Australian Derby was won by Riff Rocket from Ceolwulf and Glad You Think So.
Previous ATC Australian Derby Winners
Date | Horse | Jockey | WT | Trainer | BP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
RIFF ROCKET
(AUS)
3G AMERICAN PHAROAH (USA) - MISSILE CODA (AUS) SMART MISSILE (AUS) |
JAMES MCDONALD | 56.5 | CHRIS WALLER | 8 |
|
MAJOR BEEL
(NZ)
3G SAVABEEL (AUS) - GRAM (NZ) O'REILLY (NZ) |
TIM CLARK | 56.5 | G WATERHOUSE & A BOTT | 15 |
|
HITOTSU
(AUS)
3C MAURICE (JPN) - LOVE IS FICKLE (AUS) REDOUTE'S CHOICE (AUS) |
J ALLEN | 56.5 | C MAHER & D EUSTACE | 4 |
|
EXPLOSIVE JACK
(NZ)
3C JAKKALBERRY (IRE) - EXTRA EXPLOSIVE (NZ) EKRAAR (USA) |
J ALLEN | 56.5 | C MAHER & D EUSTACE | 15 |
|
QUICK THINKER
(AUS)
3C SO YOU THINK (NZ) - ACOUPLAMAS (AUS) AL MAHER (AUS) |
O P BOSSON | 56.5 | MURRAY BAKER & ANDREW FORSMAN | 6 |
|
ANGEL OF TRUTH
(AUS)
3G ANIMAL KINGDOM (USA) - SCARLETINI (AUS) BERNARDINI (USA) |
C W BROWN | 56.5 | GWENDA MARKWELL | 4 |
|
LEVENDI
(AUS)
3C PIERRO (AUS) - LIPARI (AUS) REDOUTE'S CHOICE (AUS) |
M J ZAHRA | 56.5 | PETER GELAGOTIS | 3 |
|
JON SNOW
(NZ)
3C IFFRAAJ (GB) - ORINDA (NZ) O'REILLY (NZ) |
DAMIAN LANE | 56.5 | MURRAY BAKER & ANDREW FORSMAN | 9 |
|
TAVAGO
(NZ)
3G TAVISTOCK (NZ) - SARA ANN (NZ) STRAVINSKY (USA) |
TOMMY BERRY | 56.5 | TRENT BUSUTTIN & NATALIE YOUNG | 1 |
|
MONGOLIAN KHAN
(AUS)
3C HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR (IRE) - CENTAFIT (NZ) CENTAINE (AUS) |
O P BOSSON | 56.5 | MURRAY BAKER & ANDREW FORSMAN | 1 |
|
CRITERION
(NZ)
3C SEBRING (AUS) - MICA'S PRIDE (AUS) BITE THE BULLET (USA) |
HUGH BOWMAN | 56.5 | DAVID PAYNE | 1 |
|
DUNDEEL
(NZ)
3C HIGH CHAPARRAL (IRE) - STAREEL (NZ) ZABEEL (NZ) |
JAMES MCDONALD | 56.5 | MURRAY BAKER & ANDREW FORSMAN | 8 |
|
ETHIOPIA
(AUS)
3G HELENUS (AUS) - SHONA (AUS) SPECTRUM (IRE) |
R MCLEOD | 56.5 | P G CAREY | 9 |
|
SHAMROCKER
(NZ)
3F O'REILLY (NZ) - BOHEMIAN BLUES (NZ) BLUES TRAVELLER (IRE) |
G BOSS | 54.5 | DANNY O'BRIEN | 8 |
|
SHOOT OUT
(AUS)
3G HIGH CHAPARRAL (IRE) - PENTAMEROUS (NZ) PENTIRE (GB) |
S KATSIDIS | 56.5 | JOHN WALLACE | 8 |
|
ROMAN EMPEROR
(NZ)
3C MONTJEU (IRE) - GUSSY GODIVA (NZ) LAST TYCOON (IRE) |
J CASSIDY | 56.5 | BART CUMMINGS | 16 |
|
NOM DU JEU
(NZ)
3C MONTJEU (IRE) - PRIZED GEM (NZ) PRIZED (USA) |
J LLOYD | 56.5 | M BAKER | 14 |
|
FIUMICINO
(NZ)
3G ZABEEL (NZ) - LATTE (NZ) MAROOF (USA) |
D BEADMAN | 56.5 | JOHN HAWKES | 7 |
|
HEADTURNER
(AUS)
3G ANABAA (USA) - MONROE MAGIC (NZ) ZAFONIC (USA) |
D BEADMAN | 56.5 | JOHN HAWKES | 6 |
|
EREMEIN
(AUS)
3G TIMBER COUNTRY (USA) - MARREGO (AUS) MARSCAY (AUS) |
C W BROWN | 56.5 | ALLAN DENHAM | 3 |
|
STARCRAFT
(NZ)
3C SOVIET STAR (USA) - FLYING FLOOZIE (NZ) POMPEII COURT (USA) |
G BOSS | 56.5 | GARRY NEWHAM | 3 |
|
CLANGALANG
(AUS)
3C CLANG (AUS) - LITTLE RECRUIT (NZ) STAFF SERGEANT (GB) |
S SEAMER | 56.5 | GERALD RYAN | 3 |
|
DON EDUARDO
(NZ)
3C ZABEEL (NZ) - OUR DIAMOND LOVER (AUS) STICKS AND STONES (AUS) |
DAMIEN OLIVER | 55.5 | D L FREEDMAN | 1 |
|
UNIVERSAL PRINCE
(AUS)
3C SCENIC (IRE) - BISCAY BIRD (AUS) BLUEBIRD (USA) |
J SHEEHAN | 55.5 | BEDE MURRAY | 1 |
|
FAIRWAY
(AUS)
3G DANZERO (AUS) - OUR CADDY (NZ) COCKY GOLFER (USA) |
B YORK | 55.5 | JACK DENHAM | 13 |
Related News
The Queensland Derby is on the agenda for Bullets High if he performs at Randwick.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have adopted a unique approach to Major Beel’s Sydney Cup assault.
A look at some of the other angles from Doncaster Mile day at Randwick.
Riff Rocket has claimed his third Group 1 win this season with a determined victory in the ATC Australian Derby.
While it’s career defining times for Muswellbrook trainer Todd Howlett with his first Derby runner Noisy Boy ($34 on TAB) at Royal Randwick, a $600 bargain buy Pocket Sage, has a level of importance at Monday’s Tamworth TAB meeting.
The Inglis Easter Sale yearlings who are siblings to G1 runners at Randwick on Saturday
The World Pool is back this weekend operating on Race 3 to 10 at Randwick and Races 6 to 9 at Turffontein.
bet365's Pick 6 Challenge is back with bigger consolation pools.
The Derby and Oaks winners from Flemington will clash in Saturday’s ATC Derby
Michael Freedman can join brother Lee on the Australian Derby honour roll if Wymark wins at Randwick.
Jay Ford has long been a believer that Bandi’s Boy has Country Championships written all over him.
James Cummings will be chasing his first Australian Derby win since taking over as head trainer for Godolphin.
Will it be the Tulloch Stakes form again in the Australian Derby run at Randwick on Saturday?