Australian Derby Tips, Best Bets, Field and Odds

The Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) will be run at Royal Randwick on Saturday, April 10 and we provide you with a comprehensive guide to the three-year-old staying feature.

Australian Derby tips, best bets, field & odds. Below is our complete Australian Derby guide — race details, history and past winners, lead-in form, betting markets and FAQs. Check back race week for the final field, odds and our best bets.

The Australian Derby — officially the ATC Derby — is the traditional middle-distance Group 1 for three-year-olds, run over 2400m at Royal Randwick on Day 1 of The Championships. Alongside the Victoria Derby, it remains the pinnacle of the domestic three-year-old middle-distance program. This guide covers the Australian Derby dates, distance, prize money, betting markets and our full race-day tips. For the broader autumn schedule, see our Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival guide.

 

Australian Derby Race Details

Detail	Value
Distance	2400m
Class	Group 1 Set Weights
Age / Conditions	Three-year-olds
Venue	Royal Randwick, Sydney
Prize Money	$2 million
Run Date	Day 1 of The Championships (early April)

 

Australian Derby History & Winners

First run in 1861, the Australian Derby has been won by an honour roll of champions — Tulloch, Tobin Bronze, Lonhro, Octagonal, Nothin’ Leica Dane, Criterion, Levendi, Angel Of Truth, Explosive Jack and Hinged. Many subsequent Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup winners have taken the Derby en route.

Lead-In Races

The traditional path to the Australian Derby runs through the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m), the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m) and the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m). Imports from the UK and Ireland have also targeted the race in recent years.

How to Watch the Australian Derby in Australia

The Australian Derby is run on Day 1 of The Championships at Royal Randwick in early April, the showpiece finale of the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. The Championships meetings are shown live and free-to-air on Seven (Seven’s Horse Racing), and the race is also available on Sky Racing (via Foxtel and Kayo, and in TAB venues) and streamed on Racing.com. Most online bookmakers live-stream the race to logged-in account holders. For the wider autumn programme see our Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival hub, the same-day Doncaster Mile and the lead-in Rosehill Guineas, or browse all our horse racing tips and guides.

Australian Derby Betting Markets

All major Australian bookmakers price the Australian Derby weeks out, with a full acceptances market released after the final field is declared. The core markets are:

• Fixed-Odds Win & Place — the bread-and-butter markets, with early speculative prices followed by final acceptances pricing.
• Each-Way — typically 1/4 the odds for a place (1-2-3).
• Exotics — quinella, exacta, trifecta and First 4. See our First 4 calculator guide.
• Same Race Multis — combine multiple runners from the same race into one bet. See our Same Race Multi guide.
• Head-to-Head & Group Markets — runner-vs-runner matchups and stable/country markets.

Best Bookmakers for the Australian Derby

For a full comparison of the top Australian racing bookmakers, see our best horse racing betting sites in Australia guide.

Australian Derby FAQs

When is the Australian Derby?

The Australian Derby is run on Day 1 of The Championships at Royal Randwick, traditionally the first Saturday of April.

What is the distance of the Australian Derby?

The Australian Derby is run over 2400m at Royal Randwick.

What age horses run in the Australian Derby?

The Australian Derby is restricted to three-year-olds at set weights — colts and geldings carry 56.5kg and fillies 54.5kg.

How much is the Australian Derby worth?

The Australian Derby carries $2 million in total prize money.

Who has won the Australian Derby recently?

Recent winners include Angel Of Truth, Quick Thinker, Explosive Jack, Hinged, Arapaho and Celestial Legend. The race has been won by many horses who went on to Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup success.