Australian Derby 2021

Ladbrokes Tip: The Rosehill Guineas – Australian Derby is a popular autumn betting double

The Australian Derby, also known as the ATC Derby, is one of four Group 1 races taking place at Royal Randwick Racecourse on the first Saturday in April* on Day 1 of The Championships. The meeting is also referred to as Doncaster Mile Day and the other elite levels on the card are the TJ Smith Stakes, ATC Inglis’ Sires Produce Stakes and the Doncaster Mile.

*In 2021 the Australian Derby ran on the second Saturday of April with all race meetings of the autumn in Sydney from Slipper Day onwards postponed a week due to the weather.

The Australian Derby is open to three-year-old horses and offers $2 million in total prize money including $1.2 million to the winning youngster.

The Australian Derby prizemoney for 2020 was reduced to $1 million including $580,000 for the winning three-year-old because of the Coronavirus pandemic and it’s impact on Australian racing, but was back up to $2 million again in 2021.

Run at set weights over 2400m the colts and geldings in the Australian Derby field carry 56.5kg and the fillies 54.5kg.

The winners of the Randwick Guineas and Rosehill Guineas are exempt from Australian Derby ballot each year and provide key lead-ups to the mile and a half classic. The Rosehill Guineas – Australian Derby double was last completed by Criterion (2014).

The latest edition of the Australian Derby took place on Saturday April 10, 2021 and was won by 15/1 shot Explosive Jack.  

Australian Derby Race Info

• Date: Saturday April 10, 2021
• Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
• Distance: 2400m
• Conditions: Set Weights – 3YOs
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $2 million ($1 million in 2020 due to Coronavirus)
• First Run: 1861

2021 Australian Derby Results

The 2021 Australian Derby results and finishing order will be known on Saturday April 10, 2021 and published below.

• 1st: #10 Explosive Jack
• 2nd: #7 Young Werther
• 3rd: #1 Lion’s Roar

Melbourne raider Explosive Jack ($16) lived up to his name with a barnstorming late run to defeat VRC Derby third placed Young Werther and the Randwick Guineas winner Lion’s Roar in a big 2021 Australian Derby result in Sydney. 

Australian Derby Odds & Betting

Australian Derby betting markets are dominated by young staying types showing a potential to step up to 2400m and run out the distance.

The best performers in the Rosehill Guineas over 400m shorter a fortnight earlier always feature highly in the Australian Derby odds and the double was achieved twice in three years when It’s A Dundeel (2013) and Criterion (2014) scored both Group 1s.

Mongolian Khan (5th in 2015) was the last ATC Derby winner to back-up from a run in the Rosehill Guineas.

Fillies have a very poor record against the boys in the Australian Derby and make a risky punt with only one beating home the boys in over 30 years in Shamrocker (2011) as they are usually taking on their own kind in the Australian Oaks the following weekend.

Australian Derby betting favourites saluted three times from 2006 – 2021 most recently with Criterion (2014).

2021 Australian Derby Betting

The Australian Derby odds 2021 will be published below as soon as our markets are open on the three-years-old autumn classic.

The Australian Derby field features a selection of the season’s best staying three-year-olds facing off over the mile and a half, many seeing the distance for the first time.

The traditional lead-up for horses heading into the Australian Derby field is the Group Rosehill Guineas (2000m) held a fortnight before.

Criterion (2014) is one of the last Australian Derby betting favourites to salute for the punters. Photo Credit: Steve Hart.

Three times since 2003, 18 horses have lined-up in the Australian Derby field when Clangalang (2003), Criterion (2014) and Levendi (2018) won against capacity fields.

Australian Derby nominations are taken on a Tuesday in early February before first acceptances a month later in the first week of March.

Final Australian Derby acceptances then close on the Tuesday before the race attracting a fee of $7,700 for connections when the field and barrier draw is released.

2021 Australian Derby Field

The Australian Derby 2021 field and barrier draw will be published here when they are released on the Tuesday of race week – April 6th, 2021. 

The 2021 Australian Derby field features 14 hopefuls including dual Group 1 winning filly Montefilia, visiting NZ Derby champ Rocket Spade and Randwick Guineas winner Lion’s Roar out to improve on his fourth in the Rosehill Guineas last start. 

2021 Australian Derby Nominations

Nominations for the Australian Derby in 2021 close at midday on Tuesday the 9th of February, 2021.

The 2021 Australian Derby nominations attracted 129 young stayers including the VRC Oaks winning filly Personal, Bondi Stakes winning So You Think colt Peltzer and the popular Cherry Tortoni.

2021 Australian Derby First Acceptances

The official Australian Derby 2021 first acceptances closed on Tuesday the 9th of March, 2021 attracting 51 young stayers led in early betting by recent Randwick Guineas runner-up Mo’unga. 

Australian Derby Tips

Australian Derby tips are usually determined by the results of the Rosehill Guineas two weeks earlier at Sydney’s other premier track.

Only three times from 2001-2021 has an Australian Derby winner run worse than fourth in their lead-up run with Roman Emperor (2009) and Mongolian Khan (2015) both coming off fifths in the Rosehill Guineas, and Tavago (2016) improving on a sixth in the NZ Derby before his upset win at Australian Derby odds of $31.

Other Australian Derby betting tips include avoiding fillies who have a very bad record in the race and sticking to Sydney form with just three winners in over 30 years not coming off a Rosehill run last time out.

The other key tip is to look at the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes winner with all four champions from 2017-20 going on to take out the ATC Derby: Jon Snow (2017), Levendi (2018), Angel Of Truth (2019) and Quick Thinker (2020).

2021 Australian Derby Tips

Our exclusive Australian Derby 2021 betting tips on the three-year-old stayers to back and sack in the feature autumn staying showdown will be available below the week of the race so stay tuned.

• To Win: #2 Rocket Spade ($7.50 at time of publish) 

Kiwi youngsters have a solid record in the ATC Derby over the years and hard to fault the lead-up form of this visitor ahead of his Australian debut. He took out the Group 1 NZ Derby two back with wins on either side of that narrow 2400m victory. Proving his versatility, the Fastnet Rock colt backed up from that to salute over a mile last start. Should relish getting back out in distance and drawn to win in gate two. One of the few in the mix proven at the distance and looks a nice price. 

Australian Derby Form Guide

The Australian Derby form guide shows the full field, barriers, jockeys, trainers and lead-up runs of the three-year-olds in the mix. Using the information to place a well-informed tip is essential and it is a great idea to look at horses that ran top three in the Rosehill Guineas last time out when doing the Australian Derby form.

Historical data dating back from 1983 shows that most Australian Derby winners jumped from barriers 1 – 8 with the most successful gates in that time being 1 with six winners and 8 with seven winners up until 2016.

Australian Derby Form Facts

• Just three fillies from 1983 – 2021 have won the Australian Derby
• Rosehill is the best form to follow into the race with all but four of the Australian Derby winners (from 1983 – 2021) having come off a run at Sydney’s other best race track
• The Rosehill Guineas – Australian Derby betting double is a popular one with punters and history shows Criterion (2014) was the last horse to win both races
• Barrier one has produced the most successful Australian Derby results in the past 30 years including three straight wins from 2014 – 2017

2021 Australian Derby Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Australian Derby 2021 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

Australian Derby Results

The Australian Derby results and finishing order are known when the race runs on Day 1 of Sydney’s The Championships on the first Saturday in April. Along with the Australian Derby winner the results reveal the winning trainer, jockey, margin and time as well as the starting prices of all the runners.

The most notable upset Australian Derby results in recent years include Explosive Jack ($16 in 2021),  Tavago ($31 in 2016), Ethiopia ($15 in 2012) and Nom Du Jeu ($26 in 2008).

Notable Australian Derby winners in the past 10 years include trainer Murray Baker’s fifth champion Quick Thinker (2020), Mongolian Khan (2015), Criterion (2014), It’s A Dundeel (2013) and Headturner (2006).

Australian Derby Winners