Queensland Derby 2021

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 $600,000 in total prize money including $360,000 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 29, 2021 and saw trainer Chris Waller prepare three of the first four over the line led by Kukeracha. 

Queensland Derby Race Info

• Date: Saturday May 29, 2021
• Track: Eagle Farm Racecourse
• Distance: 2400m
• Conditions: 3YOs – Set Weights
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $600,000
• First Run: 1868

Queensland Derby 2021 Results

• 1st: #3 Kukeracha
• 2nd: #9 Senor Toba
• 3rd: #1 Explosive Jack

Kukeracha ($11) enjoyed a narrow upset in the 2021 Queensland Derby results, the Rough Habit Plate runner-up going one better than his Doomben lead-up when just denying the fellow Chris Waller-trained Senor Toba the win. The ATC Derby – SA Derby champion Explosive Jack rounded out the trifecta in third as the beaten favourite. 

The official 2021 Queensland Derby Results & Finishing Order will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday May 29, 2021.

Queensland Derby Odds

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 – 2021 including Ruthven (2017), Dark Dream (2018) and Mr Quickie (2019), but there is often value further down the markets.

2021 Queensland Derby Betting

The winter’s latest Queensland Derby 2021 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.

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.

2021 Queensland Derby Field

The official Queensland Derby 2021 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 2021 Queensland Derby final field features a capacity line-up of three-year-old stayers dominated by the brilliant ATC Derby – SA Derby double champion Explosive Jack. 

2021 Queensland Derby First Acceptances

First acceptances for the Queensland Derby in 2021 are taken on Wednesday the 19th of May, 2021. 

2021 Queensland Derby Nominations

Early Queensland Derby 2021 nominations are taken on a Tuesday at the start of May. 

The 2021 Queensland Derby nominations are now out featuring a bumper 91 young stayers including the ATC Derby – SA Derby hero Explosive Jack. 

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 – 2021 five 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.

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.

2021 Queensland Derby Form Facts

• Wide barriers 10 or above produced five Queensland Derby winners from 2011 – 2021
• Dariana (2010) was the last filly to beat home the boys in the Queensland Derby results
• From 2011 – 2021 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 

2021 Queensland Derby Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Queensland Derby 2021 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.

From 2006 – 2021 five of the Queensland Derby winners won their lead-up race, so a good tip is looking for a last start winner.

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.

2021 Queensland Derby Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Queensland Derby 2021 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: #1 Explosive Jack ($2.90 at time of publish)

Really hard to bet against a young stayer in this vein of form. He’s won the Tasmanian Derby, ATC Derby and the South Australian Derby. He has nothing to prove so connections obviously think he’s going well enough to travel again and shoot for an incredible rare Derby four-peat. 

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