WATC Derby 2022

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 latest fillies to complete the WA Oaks – WATC Derby double are the Grant Williams-trained Delicacy (2015) who also went on to score the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) – Group 1 SA Derby (2500m) double in Adelaide and Tuscan Queen (2020).

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 best three-year-olds out of the WATC Derby will continue onto the Perth Summer Racing Carnival at the end of the year targeting the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m). Western Empire (2021) is the last horse to do the WATC Derby – Railway Stakes double in the same year, also finishing second in that year’s Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m).

The latest edition of the WATC Derby ran on Saturday April 9, 2022 and was won by Dan Morton’s Melvista Stakes winner Alaskan God ($2.50) who was dominant in his three-length demolition job.  

WATC Derby Race Info

• Date: Saturday April 9, 2022
• Track: Ascot Racecourse
• Distance: 2400m
• Conditions: 3YOs – Set Weights
• Status: Group 2
• Prize Money: $400,000
• First Run: 1888

2022 WATC Derby Results

The complete WATC Derby Results 2022 and Finishing Order will be available below once the race is run and won on Saturday April 9, 2022.

• 1st: #3 Alaskan God ($2.50)
• 2nd: #4 Pale Rider
• 3rd: #6 Black Fantasy

WATC Derby Betting

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. Tuscan Queen (2020) was the last filly and odds-on favourite ($1.40) in WATC Derby betting to salute for the punters.

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. Regal Power (2019), Western Empire (2021) and Alaskan God (2022) are the latest WATC Derby winners to come off a lead-up win in the Melvista Stakes.

Western Empire ($1.30 in 2021) was the last favourite in WATC Derby betting to salute for the punters.

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.

2022 WATC Derby Odds

The latest WATC Derby 2022 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 completed 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. The Melvista – WATC Derby double was completed again by Regal Power in 2019, Western Empire in 2021 and Alaskan God in 2022.

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.

2022 WATC Derby Field

The official WATC Derby 2022 Final Field & Barriers will be provided below as soon as released by Perth Racing the week of the race.

The Melvista Stakes quinella of Alaskan God and Trix Of The Trade dominate the 2022 WATC Derby field and betting markets for this Saturday in Perth.

2022 WATC Derby Nominations

The early WATC Derby 2022 nominations are taken by Perth Racing in late February and will be published below once confirmed.

The 2022 WATC Derby nominations close on Monday February 21, 2022.

Forty-seven three-year-old stayers make-up the WATC Derby 2022 nominations this season including the in-form Trix Of The Trade and class filly Fine Romance.

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.

The WATC Derby form was recently franked by the 2019 winner Regal Power who, after a win in that year’s Group 1 Railway Stakes and Group 2 Ted Van Heemst Stakes, traveled to Melbourne in the autumn of 2020 to run second in the Group 1 Australian Cup and win the $5 million The All-Star Mile.

2022 WATC Derby Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive WATC Derby 2022 Form Guide will be provided for punters the week of the race.

WATC Derby Tips

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.

2022 WATC Derby Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider WATC Derby betting tips 2022 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.

• To Win: #1 Trix Of The Trade ($2.50 at time of publish) 

Colin Webster’s Trade Fair gelding has been knocking on the door of a feature race win and think this is his to lose. Was on fire earlier in the summer winning a host of races before back-to-back seconds getting out to 1800m and 2200m respectively. Latest was behind Saturday’s favourite Alaskan God in the Melvista Stakes with 57kg. He’s better weighted for the rematch, was arguably taken too far back last two and with a closer run here throughout can challenge late.

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 Western Empire (2021), Tuscan Queen (2020), subsequent The All-Star Mile champion Regal Power (2019), Delicacy (2015), Dreamaway (2011) and Guyno (2007).

WATC Derby Winners