Victoria Derby 2021

Ladbrokes Tip: The Moonee Valley Vase is a top guide to the VRC Derby winners

The Victoria Derby is the feature race for young staying types each spring and is the opening Group 1 feature of the Melbourne Cup Carnival following the events of the Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in late October. Held over four days in late October and or early November every year, the carnival kicks off on the Saturday before the first Tuesday of November’s Melbourne Cup with the three-year-olds stealing the show in the VRC Derby.

Run over 2500m the Victoria Derby is a classic set weights race now worth $2 million in prize money and was first run in 1855. It has held Group 1 status since 1979 and Gai Waterhouse was the first woman trainer to prepare a winner of the race in 1995 with Nothin’ Leica Dane. The race record over the current distance was set by Star Of The Real in 1991 who won in 2.33.60 and other notable winners include Efficient (2006), Elvstroem (2003) and Red Anchor (1984).

Victoria Derby Day features a total of four Group 1 spring races with the three-years-old staying feature accompanied on the Flemington race card by the: Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) for the short distance sprinters of the same age, Kennedy Cantala (1600m) and Empire Rose Stakes (formerly the Myer Classic) also run over a mile.  It is known as a day for racing purists as all the events on the program hold Group status.

Derby Day in Melbourne now has some serious competition across the border with the addition of a number of lucrative feature races in Sydney on the same date. From 2019 on, Rosehill Gardens has hosted the $7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m) for four-year-olds and the $1 million Winners Stakes (1300m), which is renamed in honour of the previous year’s The Everest champion each season, on the same day as the VRC Derby program in Melbourne.

This season the 2021 Victoria Derby ran on Saturday October 30, 2021 and saw the lightly-raced favourite Hitotsu ($4) salute from the Maher/Eustace stable. 

2021 Victoria Derby Results

The 2021 Victoria Derby Results will be published as soon as the race runs on Saturday October 30, 2021.

• 1st: #9 Hitotsu
• 2nd: #3 Alegron
• 3rd: #16 Teewaters

The rise through the ranks by the Maher/Eustace-trained Maurice colt Hitotsu ($4F) continued with a powerhouse two-length win in the 2021 Victoria Derby results thanks to a patient ride from last weekend’s Cox Plate winning hoop John Allen.

Victoria Derby Race Info

• Date: Saturday October 30, 2021
• Track: Flemington Racecourse
• Distance: 2500m
• Conditions: 3YOs – Set Weights
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $2 million
• First Run: 1855

Victoria Derby Betting

Victoria Derby betting markets on possible runners are open months in advance with juicy futures prices on offer at many bookmakers under all-in conditions. Once the VRC Derby field is released the week of the race those markets are slashed and the action heats up with punters looking for the value bet.

Favourites have a poor history in the Victoria Derby with Tarzino (2015), Ace High (2017) and Hitotus ($4 in 2021) the only top fancies in VRC Odds to win since Efficient (2006).

Since then there’s been plenty of upsets including Rebel Raider who won at 100/1 in 2008 and Fiveandahalfstar who caused a boil over in 2012 at 40/1. There was also a bit of value in VRC Derby betting on the 2018 champion Extra Brut who jumped at $14 odds, while Johnny Get Angry saluted at 20/1 in 2020.

2021 Victoria Derby Odds

The spring’s latest Victoria Derby 2021 betting odds and Melbourne Cup Carnival Group 1 market links to the staying classic will be provided below so stay tuned for access to the top odds on the VRC Derby horses.

Victoria Derby Field

The Victoria Derby field is released by Racing Victoria on the Tuesday before the race runs on the Saturday meeting before Melbourne Cup Day the following Tuesday and has a capacity starting line-up of 16 three-year-olds plus four emergencies. Before the final field is out the Victoria Derby nominations are taken in late September each year and usually feature around 100 early entries.

Horses may come into the Victoria Derby field via a lead-up run in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) on Cox Plate Day, which produced back-to-back winners in 2015 and 2016. Efficient (2006) was the last three-year-old to complete the Moonee Valley Vase – VRC Derby double.

The upset 2020 VRC Derby winner Johnny Get Angry also came out of the Moonee Valley Vase having run third in the lead-up.

Another key lead-up races gallopers might contest ahead of the VRC Derby field is Sydney’s Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m), a double most recently completed by Ace High (2017).

One of the very early potential lead-up races into the VRC Derby field is the Group 3 Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) run at Rosehill in late August and the ill-fated Lion Tamer (2010) was the last to do the double. A little later at Rosehill on Golden Rose Stakes Day, early VRC Derby types may contest the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) and Ace High (2017) was the last to complete the Gloaming – Derby double.

VRC Derby winner Efficient (2006) won the following year’s Melbourne Cup . Photo by Taron Clarke.

2021 Victoria Derby Field

The official VRC Derby 2021 Final Field & Barriers are set for release in late October and will be provided in full below so stay tuned to see what gun three-year-old stayers are making the line-up.

The 2021 Victoria Derby final acceptances close at 9:30am (AEDT) on Tuesday October 26th, 2021. 

The Victoria Derby 2021 final field features a capacity line-up of young stayers led by last start winners Gunstock (Group 3 Caulfield Classic) and Forgot You (Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase) drawn in barriers 8 and 19 respectively.

Victoria Derby 2021 First Acceptances

The first acceptances for the 2021 Victoria Derby close on a Tuesday in late October with updated entries for the staying classic to be listed below once released.

The 2021 VRC Derby first acceptances close at midday on Tuesday the 19th of October, 2021. 

Victoria Derby 2021 Nominations

VRC Derby 2021 Nominations are taken on a Tuesday in late September or early October and will be available right here as soon as early entries on the Group 1 race are announced.

The 2021 Victoria Derby nominations close on Tuesday October 5th, 2021. 

The Victoria Derby 2021 nominations attracted 63 young stayers led in betting by the progressive Gunstock and Bill Stutt Stakes winner Forgot You.

Victoria Derby Tips

Victory Derby tips on which three-year-old to back in the classic are notoriously hard to follow with so many upsets in the race over the years. When sorting through the pre-race predictions one thing that statistically is important to look for horses coming off a lead-up race over at least 2000m.

Graduates out of Melbourne lead-up races make the best VRC Derby betting tips, while laying the favourite has also proved profitable more often than not looking back at the recent Victoria Derby results.

2021 Victoria Derby Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Victoria Derby 2021 betting tips and Group 1 Flemington exotic selections on the classic will be detailed below the week of the race so stay tuned for the three-year-old colts & geldings to get behind at the right price this spring.

• To Win: #1 Forgot You ($3.60 at time of publish) 

Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young’s Savabeel colt was impressive late running down his 100/1 stablemate Commander Harry to win the Moonee Valley Vase last time out. The Vase has been a great recent guide to the Derby and this in-form youngster has been set for the Group 1 for some time. Should run out the distance, gets every chance from the nice midfield draw and a strong record on Soft tracks also works in his favour.

• Danger: #2 Tutukaka ($9 at time of publish) 

Tony Pike’s New Zealander comes off a strong Geelong Classic (2200m) victory and is bred to stay. He’ll run the 2500m no worries and looks the improver in the mix. A son of Tavistock, no doubt this is his toughest test to date but he’s a market mover that can surprise at a price.

• Each Way: #3 Alegron ($9 at time of publish)

James Cummings’ son of Teofilo brings in the Sydney form lines to the Derby and they’ve been stacking up. He’ll don the Royal Blue of Godolphin at HQ on the back of a third in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) and his claims are enhanced by the booking of in-form hoop Brett Prebble.

• Best Roughie: #7 Jungle Magnate ($17 at time of publish)

The bookies say Gunstock, we say the stablemate at 16/1 is overs! If you like the Vase form then the eye-catching run from the back to round out the trifecta last weekend in that by this horse suggests he is a far bigger danger than his current price.

Victoria Derby Form Guide

A good Victoria Derby form guide doesn’t only list the horses, trainers, jockeys and barriers but also their lead-up form and any past runs at the track / distance. That information can be helpful when narrowing down who to back and who to sack.

The Victoria Derby barriers are important to consider with wide barriers producing few winners since 2008 and the inside alley producing two winners during that time with both Monaco Consul (2009) and Polanski (2013) jumping from gate one.

Phar Lap was another champion that has won both the Victoria Derby (1929) and Melbourne Cup (1930).

Victoria Derby Form Facts

• The Moonee Valley Vase is the key VRC Derby form race to follow with Efficient (2006) the last to do the double
• Favourites in Victoria Derby betting have a poor recent record with Tarzino (2015) the first to salute since Efficient (2006) and Ace High (2017) followed by Hitotsu (2021) the only others since
• Wide Victoria Derby barriers have produced only a few winners since 2008
• Upset Victoria Derby results are common so look for value further down the odds on well-bred horses likely to run out the 2500m
• Jockey Damien Oliver has ridden six VRC Derby winners (since 1983) most recently on Warning (2019)

2021 Victoria Derby Form Guide

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

Victoria Derby Results & History

The Victoria Derby results including the winner, the trifecta with the first three over the line, winning margins and the complete finishing order of all the starters are out after the classic jumps as Flemington Race 7, the same course and race number as the iconic Melbourne Cup run three days later, on the first Saturday of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Arguably Australia’s greatest ever champion Phar Lap, won the the Victoria Derby in 1929 before winning the Melbourne Cup the following year. Winners of the VRC Derby dating back to the year 2000 can also be seen below.

Victoria Derby Winners

Year	Winner	2nd	3rd	Time
2021	Hitotsu	Alegron	Teewaters	2:37.3
2020	Johnny Get Angry	Hit The Shot	Young Werther	2:41.9
2019	Warning	Southern Moon	Soul Patch	2:40.8
2018	Extra Brut	Stars Of Carrum	Chapada	2:34.3
2017	Ace High	Sully	Astoria	2:37.5
2016	Prized Icon	Sacred Elixir	Inference	2:36.1
2015	Tarzino	Etymology	Kia Ora Koutou	2:38.3
2014	Preferment	Bondeiger	Nozomi	2:37.8
2013	Polanski	Complacent	Thunder Fantasy	2:38.6
2012	Fiveandahalfstar	Super Cool	Rawnaq	2:35.9
2011	Sangster	Induna	Sabrage	2:40.3
2010	Lion Tamer	Praecido	Retrieve	2:46.4
2009	Monaco Consul	Extra Zero	Viking Legend	2:41.6
2008	Rebel Raider	Whobegotyou	Pre Eminence	2:36.9
2007	Kibbutz	Littorio	Marching	2:40.9
2006	Efficient	Gorky Park	Teranaba	2:38.3
2005	Benicio	Duelled	Headturner	2:37.0
2004	Plastered	Savabeel	Count Ricardo	2:35.4
2003	Elvstroem	Kempinsky	Our Bahare	2:38.9
2002	Helenus	Hydrometer	Aint There	2:40.5
2001	Amalfi	Zarek	Pentastic	2:34.6
2000	Hit The Roof	Universal Prince	Falls The Shadow	2:39.0