Queensland Derby 2022

Ladbrokes Tip: The SA Derby in Adelaide is a key lead-up into the Queensland Derby 

The Queensland Derby is a Group 1 race for three-year-old stayers traditionally run at Eagle Farm Racecourse Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival.

The event was previously conducted on a Saturday in early – mid June on Stradbroke Handicap Day but was moved forward a fortnight in 2021 to run in late May alongside the Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m).

A set weights clash for three-year-old stayers, the Queensland Derby now serves as a key next-up option for youngsters out of Adelaide’s Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) and the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m). 

The 2017 & 2018 editions of the Queensland Derby were moved from Eagle Farm to Doomben Racecourse and contested over 2200m instead of 2400m, while there was no 2020 edition of the race due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Colts and geldings carrying 57kg and fillies 55kg in the Queensland Derby field over 2400m. The race offers $1 million in total prize money as of 2022 including $600,000 for the winning connections.

Some of the three-year-old stayers out of the Queensland Derby field may opt to take on the older horses in the Group 3 Tattersall’s Cup (2400m) on Tiara Day with Vow And Declare (2nd in 2019) the last Derby graduate to win that event. 

The latest edition of the Queensland Derby ran on Saturday May 28, 2022 and was won narrowly by the New Zealand-trained Pinarello ($6.50). 

Queensland Derby Race Info

• Date: Saturday May 28, 2022
• Track: Eagle Farm Racecourse
• Distance: 2400m
• Conditions: 3YOs – Set Weights
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $1,000,000
• First Run: 1868

Queensland Derby 2022 Results

• 1st: #5 Pinarello ($6.50)
• 2nd: #12 Paternal
• 3rd: #3 Caboche

The Roger James & Robert Wellwood-trained New Zealand visitor Pinarello ($6.50) was brave off a five-week let-up fresh down under holding off the fast-finishing Paternal to take out the 2022 Queensland Derby in Brisbane. 

Queensland Derby Betting

Queensland Derby betting opens at pre-field prices weeks ahead of the race date offering juicy futures odds on the likely runners in the race.

Three-year-olds that run well in the traditional lead-up races typically dominate the Queensland Derby odds, and more often than not the Grand Prix Stakes winner of the season will start favourite in the Group 1 over the mile and a half.

Favourites have a fair record in the Queensland Derby with six saluting for the punters from 2011 – 2022 including Ruthven (2017), Dark Dream (2018) and Mr Quickie (2019), but there is often value further down the markets.

2022 Queensland Derby Odds

The winter’s latest Queensland Derby 2022 betting odds will be available below once the markets are released on the Kingsford-Smith Cup Day event so you can check out the QLD Derby odds on your favourite staying three-year-olds of the season.

Queensland Derby Field

Hawkspur (2013) is a recent favourite in Queensland Derby betting to salute for the punters at Eagle Farm. Photo Credit: Daniel Costello.

The Queensland Derby field attracts a collection of the season’s most promising staying types. The majority of acceptors are colts and geldings, but previously fillies backed up out of the Queensland Oaks the weekend prior to take on the boys before the Derby was rescheduled in 2021 to run before the Oaks.

The last filly to win the Queensland Derby was Dariana (2010), while in 2017 the only filly in the field Ana Royale ran a brave third. The fillies came close again in 2018 when that year’s Queensland Oaks winner Youngstar ran a luckless third, while the 2019 Queensland Derby trifecta was also rounded-out by a filly – Aliferous.

The largest Queensland Derby field had a previous capacity of 20 runners, the last of this size field lining up in 2008 when Riva San won. Now a maximum of 18 starters can take to the track. The smallest Queensland Derby field in recent history saw only eight runners take to the barriers in 1990 when Rough Habit won.

A nice early lead-up race into the Queensland Derby field is Sydney’s Group 3 Frank Packer Plate (2000m) held at Randwick in mid-April and Shootoff (2011) was the last to do the double. 

Queensland Derby nominations close in early May, four – five weeks before the final field of acceptances is taken and released the Tuesday prior to the race running on the Saturday.

2022 Queensland Derby Field

The official Queensland Derby 2022 Field & Barriers will be announced below once the final acceptances are out so bookmark this page to see what three-year-old winter stayers make the line-up on Kingsford-Smith Cup Day.

The 2022 Queensland Derby final field features a full line-up of young stayers including the Rough Habit Plate winner Dark Destroyer drawn barrier one. 

2022 Queensland Derby First Acceptances

First acceptances for the Queensland Derby in 2022 are taken on Wednesday the 18th of May, 2022. 

The 2022 Queensland Derby first acceptances attracted 30 youngsters including Rough Habit Plate winner Dark Destroyer and the Godolphin-raced Alegron looking to atone for his fourth in the SA Derby. 

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

2022 Queensland Derby Nominations

Early Queensland Derby 2022 nominations are taken on a Tuesday at the start of May. 

The 2022 Queensland Derby nominations close on Tuesday the 3rd of May, 2022 and will be provided in full below once confirmed. 

Dual Group 1 Derby place-getter Alegron and his Queensland Guineas winning stablemate Character headline the 69 three-year-old Queensland Derby 2022 nominations for this winter. 

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

Queensland Derby Form Guide

The Queensland Derby form guide provides punters with all of the must know information like the jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up runs of the horses in the field. From 2011 – 2022 six of the Queensland Derby winners jumped from a double digit barrier, the distance of the race proving a wide gate is a non-issue results wise, including Pinarello (17 of 18) in 2022. 

Interstate-trained three-year-olds also have a dominant recent record in the race, so watch the Queensland Derby form guide for Sydney and Melbourne visitors with form in Brisbane that season.

In 2022 New Zealand raider Pinarello beat home the locals. 

2022 Queensland Derby Form Facts

• Wide barriers 10 or above produced six Queensland Derby winners from 2011 – 2022
• Dariana (2010) was the last filly to beat home the boys in the Queensland Derby results
• From 2011 – 2022 six Queensland Derby betting favourites saluted for the punters including three on the trot from 2017-19
• The Grand Prix Stakes was previously the key Queensland Derby form race to follow and last produced a winner of the Group 1 with Eagle Way (2nd in 2016) before a change to the race schedule in 2021 

2022 Queensland Derby Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Queensland Derby 2022 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

Queensland Derby Tips

Looking for horses that ran top three in a race like the Rough Habit Plate at Doomben and keeping an eye on the prices of runners with proven form over at least 2000m are good Queensland Derby tips.

Kukeracha (2nd in 2021) was the last Queensland Derby winner to come off a lead-up run in the Rough Habit Plate. 

From 2006 – 2022 six of the Queensland Derby winners won their lead-up race, so a good tip is looking for a last start winner, most recently Pinarello (2022) coming off a Group 2 win in New Zealand. 

Brisbane lead-up races have provided the majority of the Queensland Derby champions in the past 30 years, so another tip is to watch for horses proven at either Doomben or Eagle Farm Racecourse.

2022 Queensland Derby Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Queensland Derby 2022 tips and betting selections on the youngsters to back and sack in the mile and a half classic will be detailed below the week of the race so check back to uncover the value in the Group 1 showdown this season.

• To Win: #2 Dark Destroyer ($4 at time of publish) 

Hard to tip against the favourite on the back of his Rough Habit Plate win. Form in the wet and looks like he’ll get the distance. Kiwis have a great record in this race and he’s on an upward trajectory ready to peak at the right time. Big field and will need to stay out of trouble from that inside alley, but doing too much right to tip against in an event where the favourites have plenty form. 

Queensland Derby Results

Single-figure runners have dominated the Queensland Derby results over the past three decades, but recent winners to jump at over $10 for the win include Sonntag (2014) and Magicool (2015) who both saluted at 12/1 prices, and the Chris Waller-trained Kukeracha ($11 in 2021). 

Notable recent Queensland Derby winners include Mr Quickie (2019), Hawkspur (2013), Brambles (2012) and Shootoff (2011).

Queensland Derby Winners