Ladbrokes Tip: Many fillies contest the WATC Derby off a WA Oaks run and it is a popular betting double each autumn

The W.A.T.C. Derby is a Group 2 Perth feature for three-year-old stayers run at Ascot Racecourse on a Saturday in mid to late April during the Perth Autumn Racing Carnival. Offering a lucrative $400,000 in total prize money, the set weights clash is contested over 2400m and is the sole Group status race on WATC Derby Day.

Run a week earlier is the fillies-only Group 3 WA Oaks (2400m) and the last filly to complete the WA Oaks – WATC Derby double was Delicacy (2015) who also went on to score the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) – Group 1 SA Derby (2500m) double in Adelaide.

The following year in 2016 another Grant Williams-trained filly Arcadia Dream ran second in the WA Oaks before beating home the boys in the WATC Derby.

The latest edition of the WATC Derby ran on Saturday April 21, 2018 .

2018 WATC Derby Results

• 1st: #2 Action
• 2nd: #14 Like A Butterfly
• 3rd: #8 Media Baron

WATC Derby Race Info

• Date: Saturday April 21, 2018
• Track: Ascot Racecourse
• Distance: 2400m
• Conditions: 3YOs – Set Weights
• Status: Group 2
• Prize Money: $400,000
• First Run: 1888

2018 WATC Derby Results

The complete WATC Derby Results 2018 and Finishing Order will be available below once the race is run and won on Saturday April 21, 2018 .

The official 2018 WA Derby Results saw the favourite Action dominate the action with a brilliant four length win over the WA Oaks second placed filly Like A Butterfly.

WATC Derby Betting & Odds

WATC Derby betting markets are dominated by three-year-old local stayers with proven ability in Perth lead-up races over 2000m and 2200m at Ascot. Fillies have a gun recent record in the Derby and the WA Oaks winner often features highly up the markets for the Group 2 run against the colts and geldings a week later.

The Melvista Stakes winner is also usually a top fancy in the WATC Derby odds and has a top place rate in the mile and a half feature. Western Australian Derby odds open a few weeks out from the race at nomination stage with all-in betting available before markets firm when the field is released the week of the race.

2018 WATC Derby Odds

The latest WATC Derby 2018 betting odds on the autumn’s gun three-year-old stayers facing off in the Perth classic will be detailed below so stay tuned.

WATC Derby Field

The WATC Derby field attracts a collection of handy three-year-olds with staying potential or proven ability over similar distance races earlier in the Perth Autumn Carnival.

The line-up usually consists of handy locally-trained gallopers as opposed to the autumn’s best three-year-olds who are more likely to contest races like the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick earlier in April.

Aside from the fillies coming out of the WA Oaks the other key lead-up race youngsters come into the WATC Derby field via is the Listed Melivsta Stakes (2200m) held a fortnight earlier at Ascot Racecourse. In 2016 Who Dat Singa won the Melvista Stakes before his second to Arcadia Dream in the Derby while the previous year in 2015 Boom Time won the Melvista Stakes before a third to Delicacy in the WATC Derby. In 2017 Gatting became the latest galloper to complete the Melvista Stakes – WATC Derby double, while in 2018 the WA Derby winner Action improved on a luckless fifth in the Melvista Stakes for his four length win in the Group 2.

WATC Derby nominations are taken a fortnight before the race with the final field and barriers out early in the week of Derby Day.

WATC Derby winner Delicacy (2015) went on to win two Group 1 races in Adelaide after her Perth success. Photo Credit: Jenny Barnes.

2018 WATC Derby Field

The official WATC Derby 2018 Final Field & Barriers will be provided below as soon as released by Perth Racing the week of the race.

The 2018 WATC Derby Field drew a capacity line-up including the Melvista Stakes winner Money Maher and a host of Bob Peters-owned runners as the horseman chases his seventh win with a contingent led by early favourite Action out to atone for a luckless fifth in the Melvista Stakes last time out.

WATC Derby Form Guide

The WATC Derby form guide features all the must know info for punters each year including saddlecloth numbers, barriers, jockeys, trainers and the lead-up form of the horses in the field. Checking for three-year-olds coming off a top three finish in either the WA Oaks or Melvista Stakes at the track two weeks earlier on the WATC Derby form guide is important.

Wide barriers are not an issue over the 2400m of the Derby, but it can be a good idea to look out for Grant Williams-trained three-year-olds on the form as he has a great strike rate in the race with in-form young guns.

2018 WATC Derby Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive WATC Derby 2018 Form Guide will be provided for punters the week of the race.

WATC Derby tips include looking for Perth’s top three-year-olds of the autumn with proven form at the Ascot track up to at least 2200m.

Backing the season’s WA Oaks winner and Melvista Stakes winner from the same meeting a fortnight prior to the Derby are also good tips when it comes to making WATC Derby selections.

2018 WATC Derby Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider WATC Derby betting tips 2018 and selections will be detailed below a day or two out from the event so stay tuned for the youngsters to back and sack in your Western Australian Derby bets this autumn.

• 1st: #14 LIKE A BUTTERFLY ($14)
• 2nd: #2 ACTION ($3.70)
• 3rd: #13 SPECIAL ALERT ($11)

Tipping the form of the WA Oaks to stack-up as the fillies take on the boys this weekend and think the Lou Luciani-trained runner-up in that 2400m lead-up, LIKE A BUTTERFLY ($14), can win at a price here. She was only a half-length beaten showing a very nice turn of foot in the Oaks from a wide barrier and gets a better run here. In flying form, super consistent and ticking all the right boxes. Money is flying in for the Grant & Alana Williams-trained favourite ACTION ($3.70) who had no luck for his last start fifth in the Melvista Stakes. Gets the chance to atone here from a brilliant barrier (4) with jockey William Pike coming back aboard having had the pick of the Bob Peters-raced bunch. SPECIAL ALERT ($11) won the Oaks over the 2400m and gets the chance at a double that’s been completed a number of times in recent years. Ability at the mile and a half is a plus and she’s half the price of her upset last start, but needs to work from the wide barrier that presents a bit of a concern.

WATC Derby Results

The WATC Derby results in recent years reveal fillies have a good record in the Group 2 against the boys, and favourites also have a decent strike and place rate. Notable WATC Derby winners from the past decade include Delicacy (2015), Dreamaway (2011) and Guyno (2007).

WATC Derby Winners