HISTORY
VICTORIA DERBY HISTORY
The Victoria Derby is arguably the most prestigious and time-honoured race in the Victorian Calendar, and is positioned on one of the greatest days in the sport…Derby Day! As the MyRacehorse Army gears up for Engine Of War to rev up in the Derby, it is important to understand the rich history that this race presents. It is a true “pinch yourself” moment to have a runner in a Group 1, and to join the list of Derby winning champions would be truly special for all MyRacehorse owners.
THE BEGINNING
Did you know that the Victoria Derby is actually older than the Melbourne Cup? The very first Victoria Derby was run in 1855 and won by Rose Of May, whereas the first Melbourne Cup was run 6 years later in 1861 and won by Archer.
Initially, the race was run over 2400m until 1973, when the Victorian Racing body moved to the metric system and added an extra 100m to make the race run over 2500m.
The race was deemed a Group 1 in 1979, and was considered as a “Principal Race” before that time.
The Victoria Derby sits at the beginning of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, which attracts some of the best horses in the world, all competing at Flemington for the ultimate glory.
THE RACE DAY
‘Derby Day’ has been widely known as one of the most popular days on the Spring Racing Calendar, which is backed by the statistics, with over 81,000 punters attending the raceday last year. Between 2004 and 2009, the VRC managed to have over 100,000 attendees on Derby Day, which is an incredible achievement.
THE WINNERS
The Victoria Derby has a rich list of winners that quickly became champions following their Derby victories. In 1929, Phar Lap was victorious in the Derby, and then went on to win the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup in the year following. Other notable winners include Dulcify (1978), Red Anchor (1984), Mahogany (1993), Efficient (2006) and Tarzino (2015). For those Hitotsu Stallion Package owners, Hitotsu was victorious in the Derby in 2021.
Tomorrow’s Derby article will delve deeper into the statistics of the race, including key lead up races, key trends in the history of winners and other key insights!
