The Group 1 Australian Derby, otherwise known as the ATC Derby, is the premier staying event for three-year-old’s during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, run over 2400m at Royal Randwick Racecourse. It is held on Day 1 of The Championships in April, along with the Doncaster Mile (1600m), TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) and Inglis Sires’ (1400m).
The Australian Derby has a long history that dates all the way back to 1861 when won by Kyogle. It was originally called the AJC Randwick Derby Stakes and has also been known as the AJC Australia Derby Stakes, AJC Derby and AJC Australian Derby. Between 1932-56, geldings were banned from contesting the race.
As of 2019, the Australian Derby carries $2 million in prize money, with the winner receiving $1.16 million. The race pays down to 10th place with $15,000 earned by horses that run ninth or 10th. The race is conducted under set weights conditions with colts and geldings carrying 56.5kg and fillies 54.5kg.
Australia’s best-known galloper Phar Lap won the 1929 Australian Derby as part of a dominant three-year-old season that also saw him win the Rosehill Guineas, Victoria Derby, Chipping Norton Stakes and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He ran third in the Melbourne Cup that year.
Another champion that captured the Australian Derby was Tulloch in 1957. The legendary horse won 36 of 53 starts for trainer Tommy Smith and raced 16 times as a three-year-old for 14 victories. Like Phar Lap before him, Tulloch would also claim the Victoria Derby.
The mighty Kingston Town, also trained by Tommy Smith, is another name you will see on the Australian Derby honour roll. He won the 1980 edition of the race and would also capture the first of his three Cox Plates that year.
There have been a couple of dead heats in the Australian Derby. Artilleryman would share honours with Richmond Main in 1919. The former would also win the Melbourne Cup in the same year. In 1935, Allunga and Homer would hit the line together to both take out first prize.
We are used to the Australian Derby being held in the autumn, but it was originally run in the spring; that changed in 1979.
Octagonal, the 1996 Australian Derby winner, holds the race record with a time of 2:28.41.
Other notable winners of the Australian Derby include The Barb (1866), Grand Flaneur (1880), Poseidon (1906), Gloaming (1918), Heroic (1924), Peter Pan (1932), Carbon Copy (1948), Skyline (1958), Dulcify (1979), Strawberry Road (1983), Bonecrusher (1986), Naturalism (1992), Mahogany (1994), Starcraft (2004), It’s A Dundeel (2013), Criterion (2014) and Mongolian Khan (2015).
