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 will host the $7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m) for four-year-olds and the $1 million Winners Stakes (1300m), which will be 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 year the 2020 Victoria Derby runs on Saturday October 31, 2020 . 

2020 Victoria Derby Results

The 2020 Victoria Derby Results will be published as soon as the race runs on Saturday October 31, 2020 .

• 1st: TBD
• 2nd: TBD
• 3rd: TBD

Victoria Derby Race Info

• Date: Saturday October 31, 2020
• 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) and Ace High (2017) 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.

2020 Victoria Derby Odds

The spring’s latest Victoria Derby 2020 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.

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).

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

2020 Victoria Derby Field

The official VRC Derby 2020 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.

Victoria Derby 2020 Nominations

VRC Derby 2020 Nominations are taken on a Tuesday in late September and will be available right here as soon as early entries on the Group 1 race are announced.

The 2020 Victoria Derby nominations closed on Tuesday September 22 attracting 89 early entries led in betting by the Godolphin-raced Alcyone, Taj Rossi Series Final winner Cherry Tortoni and seven for Fred Hoysted Medallist Danny O’Brien led by Flying Award.

• The 2020 Victoria Derby First Acceptances close at midday (local time) on Tuesday October 20, 2020. 

	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp Rating
1	24431×82	ACHIEVER	C	3	Chris Waller
2	2	AIDENABET	G	3	Stephen Hill
3	444×5	AIN’TNODEELDUN	C	3	Anthony & Sam Freedman
4	12x3x	ALBARADO (NZ)	C	3	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
5	382x1x	ALBUKHTURI (NZ)	C	3	Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes
6	2021x	ALCYONE	C	3	James Cummings
7	0	ARTILLERY FORCE	G	3	Kane Harris
8	31×1	AYSAR	C	3	Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes
9	35×52	AZALY	C	3	Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes
10	71x	BAK DA MAN (NZ)	G	3	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)
11	3x66x11x	BLAZE A TRAIL	C	3	Matthew Vella
12	5×005	BORN TO SUCCEED	C	3	Saab Hasan
13	117	BUCHAREST	C	3	Chris Waller
14	21	CADENABBIA	C	3	Chris Waller
15	05×37	CAESARS PALACE	R	3	Anthony Cummings
16	11	CAMBOURNE	C	3	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)
17	21x	CAPTAIN CORELLI (NZ)	C	3	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)
18	3×16525	CELESTIAL SOL	C	3	Chris Waller
19		CEMENTED (NZ)	G	3	Paul Rocke
20	8	CETSHWAYO	G	3	Danny O’Brien
21	111×3	CHERRY TORTONI	G	3	Patrick Payne
22	3441x	CHOIR	C	3	James Cummings
23	2010	CLINCHED	C	3	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
24	2	CRACKERJACK PRINCE	C	3	Archie Alexander
25	2123×24	CROWN MINT	G	3	Gordon Richards
26	452	DALGARNO (NZ)	C	3	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)
27	23	DEEPSTRIKE (NZ)	C	3	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)
28		DEFIANT CAESOUR	G	3	Leon & Troy Corstens
29	95×2	DUBAI CENTRE	G	3	Danny O’Brien
30	5×0	DUBAWI PRINCE	C	3	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
31	541	EL SANTO	G	3	Dan O’Sullivan
32	1	EMBOLISM	C	3	Danny O’Brien
33	8×73	FAVREAU (NZ)	G	3	John Sargent
34	311	FLASH FLOOD	C	3	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
35	221x2x	FLYING AWARD	C	3	Danny O’Brien
36	4x312x	FORMENTERA	C	3	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
37	6×157	FRANKIE TWO ANGELS	G	3	Denis Pagan
38	2502162x3x	GLENFIDDICH	C	3	Peter G Moody
39	64946×69	GORSHIN	C	3	Anthony Cummings
40	85x	GRAND POPE	G	3	Nick Ryan
41	517×4	GRANDSLAM	C	3	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
42	18	HIT THE SHOT	C	3	Matt Cumani
43	75x	HORRIFYING (NZ)	C	3	Mark Kavanagh
44	2×52	IMAGINE HOWE	G	3	Robbie Griffiths
45	42×25	IRONEDGE	G	3	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)
46	33x	JOHNNY BUCCANEER	G	3	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)
47	0329	JOHNNY GET ANGRY (NZ)	G	3	Denis Pagan
48	74	KENZAN	G	3	Danny O’Brien
49	24	LAUGHING GRIZZLEY	G	3	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)
50	6	LET HIM RIP (NZ)	G	3	Levi Kavanagh
51	21x	LET’S KARAKA DEEL (NZ)	C	3	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
52	111	LOVE TAP	G	3	Richard & Michael Freedman
53	5x52116x64	LUNAR FOX	C	3	Paul Preusker
54		MADE BY KHAN (NZ)	G	3	Matt Laurie
55	0x17	MIRAVALLE	F	3	Mark Newnham
56	8x325x2	NAMAZU	C	3	James Cummings
57		OATH OF OMERTA	C	3	Michael Hickmott
58	821	OCEANOGRAPHY (NZ)	C	3	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
59	0x422	PERNELL	C	3	Toby & Trent Edmonds
60	23	POLAND	C	3	Michael Moroney
61	8	PRIVATE WEAPON	C	3	Anthony Cummings
62	76×5	REAL PEACE	C	3	Clarry Conners
63	3	REDWOOD SHADOW (NZ)	G	3	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)
64	53	RELIABLE DUDE (NZ)	G	3	Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra
65	522x	REUBER	G	3	Cindy Alderson
66	24×545	ROUSSEAU	C	3	Chris Waller
67	6×2	SABOR	C	3	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
68	32×1	SAMMY	C	3	Kris Lees
69	1×24	SAUVESTRE	C	3	Chris Waller
70	5371	SHADOW PREY	G	3	Simon Morrish
71	21×418	SO YOU CAN	G	3	Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas
72	92×771	STREET DANCER	C	3	Anthony Cummings
73	6x1x	TALAMO (NZ)	G	3	Michael Hickmott
74	6×1	TANAAWOL (NZ)	C	3	Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes
75	5122	THE BRUMBY	G	3	Tony & Calvin McEvoy
76	6x57x1347	THE PRES	G	3	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
77	81x	TOKEN SPIRIT	C	3	Robbie Griffiths
78	2×76	TOUR OF DUTY	C	3	Michael Moroney
79	36	TRAIL BLAZER	G	3	Michael Moroney
80	58×1	TRODAIRE	G	3	Lloyd Kennewell
81	5	ULTIMATE EDITION	G	3	John & Chris Ledger
82	792	VOLATILE STOCK (NZ)	G	3	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
83	6×17	WERTHEIMER (NZ)	G	3	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
84	4x	WISAKA	G	3	Michael Moroney
85	651	WISE COUNSEL	C	3	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
86	36×25	YANGTZE RAPIDS	C	3	Chris Waller
87		YESUGEI (NZ)	C	3	Danny O’Brien
88	1	YOUNG WERTHER (NZ)	G	3	Danny O’Brien
89	86x	ZALMATIAN	C	3	Daniel Williams

   Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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.

2020 Victoria Derby Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Victoria Derby 2020 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.

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) the only other 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)

2020 Victoria Derby Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive VRC Derby 2020 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