Queensland Derby 2025

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

The next edition of the Queensland Derby runs on Saturday May 31, 2025 at Eagle Farm Racecourse.

2025 Queensland Derby Odds

The winter’s latest Queensland Derby 2025 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.

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

2019 Queensland Derby winner Mr Quickie (pictured in Melbourne winning the Toorak Handicap in 2020). Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The event is currently conducted on a Saturday in late May or early June to run 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. 

Queensland Derby Race Info

• Date: Saturday May 31, 2025
• Track: Eagle Farm Racecourse
• Distance: 2400m
• Conditions: 3YOs – Set Weights
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $1,000,000
• First Run: 1868

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 (now held the December before during the summer) will start favourite in the Group 1 over the mile and a half.

Favourites have a fair record in the Queensland Derby with seven saluting for the punters from 2011 – 2024 including Ruthven (2017), Dark Dream (2018), Mr Quickie (2019), and most recently Kovalica ($1.70 in 2023).

There was a notable upset in 2024 with Warmonger ($10) winning at double figures by 10 lengths! 

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 race 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.

2025 Queensland Derby Field

The official Queensland Derby 2025 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.

2025 Queensland Derby First Acceptances

First acceptances for the Queensland Derby in 2025 are taken on Wednesday the 21st of May 2025.  

2025 Queensland Derby Nominations

Early Queensland Derby 2025 nominations are taken on a Tuesday at the start of May. 

The 2025 Queensland Derby nominations close on Tuesday the 6th of May 2025 and will be provided in full below once confirmed. 

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 – 2024 seven 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 and Warmonger (18 of 18) in 2024.

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. 

2025 Queensland Derby Form Facts

• Wide barriers 10 or above produced seven Queensland Derby winners from 2011 – 2024.
• Dariana (2010) was the last filly to beat home the boys in the Queensland Derby results.
• From 2011 – 2024 seven 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.

2025 Queensland Derby Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Queensland Derby 2025 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 – 2024 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.

The 2023 Queensland Derby winner Kovalica did so on the quick back-up having run third the Saturday prior behind the older horses in the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m). 

2025 Queensland Derby Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Queensland Derby 2025 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: TBD

Queensland Derby Results

Single-figure runners have dominated the Queensland Derby race results over the past three decades, but recent winners to jump at double-figures for the win include Sonntag (2014) and Magicool (2015) who both saluted at 12/1 prices, the Chris Waller-trained Kukeracha ($11 in 2021), and runaway champ Warmonger ($10 in 2024). 

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

Past Queensland Derby Winners

Recent Queensland Derby winners and placegetters dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table. 

FAQ

When is the Queensland Derby 2025?

What is the prize money for the Queensland Derby 2025?

$1,000,000

Where is the Queensland Derby 2025?

Eagle Farm Racecourse, 230 Lancaster Road, Ascot, QLD 4007.