The Australian Derby is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run by the Australian Jockey Club (AJC) at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia. Open to three year olds, the race is held annually in the latter part of March or early April. The AJC says it is known as the top ranked event for 3-year-olds in Australian and New Zealand race classifications.

Contested over 2400 metres on a right-handed turf course, it has been won by some of the greats of the Australian turf, including Phar Lap, Tulloch, and Kingston Town.

Inaugurated in 1861 as the AJC Randwick Derby Stakes, the first edition was won by Kyogle, a grandson of the Touchstone who was a four-time Champion sire in Great Britain & Ireland. In 1865 the name of the race was changed to the AJC Australia Derby Stakes then from 1873 through 1993 it was called the AJC Derby. Although the race officially became the AJC Australian Derby in 1994, it is still commonly referred to as the AJC Derby.

Originally run at a distance of 1½ miles, in 1972 the race was changed to 2400 meters (1.491 miles) to conform to the metric system. In 1978 there was no race held and under a reorganization, it was changed from a spring racing event to be run in the autumn beginning in 1979.

From 1932 to 1956, geldings were banned from competing in the Derby.

Records

Time record: (at current 2400 meters distance)

• 2:28.41 - Octagonal (1996)

Largest winning margin:

• 10 lengths - Trident (1886)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 6 - Thomas Hales (1875, 1880, 1882, 1884, 1886, 1887)

Winners of the Australian Derby since 1979

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Time
2008	Nom Du Jeu	Jeff Lloyd	Murray Baker	2:36:29
2007	Fiumicino	Darren Beadman	John Hawkes	2:36.04
2006	Headturner	Darren Beadman	John Hawkes	2:29.92
2005	Eremein	Corey Brown	Allan Denham	2:35.83
2004	Starcraft	Glen Boss	Garry Newham	2:34.81
2003	Clangalang	Scott Seamer	Gerald Ryan	2:32.31
2002	Don Eduardo	Damien Oliver	Lee Freedman	2:32.76
2001	Universal Prince	Justin Sheehan	Bede Murray	2:30.80
2000	Fairway	Brian York	Jack Denham	2:34.02
1999	Sky Heights	Glen Boss	Colin Alderson	2:32.85
1998	Gold Guru	Greg Childs	Leon Macdonald	2:33.49
1997	Ebony Grosve	Shane Dye	Graeme Rogerson	2:28.83
1996	Octagonal	Darren Beadman	John Hawkes	2:28.41
1995	Ivory's Irish	Larry Cassidy	Bart Cummings	2:33.84
1994	Mahogany	Greg Hall	Lee Freedman	2:36.50
1993	Innocent King	Jimmy Cassidy	Kerry Jordan	2:33.60
1992	Naturalism	Mick Dittman	Lee Freedman	2:31.20
1991	Durbridge	Greg Hall	Brian Murphy	2:31.90
1990	Dr. Grace	Jimmy Cassidy	Geoff Chapman	2:31.70
1989	Research	Mick Dittman	Clarry Conners	2:34.00
1988	Beau Zam	John Marshall	Bart Cummings	2:34.60
1987	Myocard	Mark De Montfort	Geoff Chapman	2:32.60
1986	Bonecrusher	Gary Stewart	Frank Ritchie	2:35.60
1985	Tristarc	Wayne Treloar	Ross S. McDonald	2:31.50
1984	Prolific	John Marshall	Bart Cummings	2:34.80
1983	Strawberry Road	Mick Dittman	Doug Bougoure	2:41.80
1982	Rose of Kingston	Gary Willetts	Robert E. Hoysted	2:31.00
1981	Our Paddy Boy	Mick Mallyon	Colin Hayes	2:31.20
1980	Kingston Town	Malcolm Johnston	T. J. Smith	2:34.30
1979	Dulcify	Brent Thomson	Colin Hayes	2:30.70

Earlier winners

References

• Australian Studbook - AJC Australian Derby Race Winners
• Australian Racing Board Database
• Australian Jockey Club

See also

The premiere race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds in other countries:

• Derby Italiano
• Deutsches Derby
• Epsom Derby
• Kentucky Derby
• Prix du Jockey Club
• Queen's Plate