Big fields, strong results: Why change the Derby?

Cover image courtesy of Victoria Racing Club

One of Australia’s oldest races, the G1 VRC Derby was first run in 1855, six years before the inaugural G1 Melbourne Cup. Only one horse has won the Derby twice, the colt Fireworks who won in the spring and again in the autumn for the one year when the Victoria Racing Club decided to shift the race. He went to stud and sired 12 stakes winners including VRC Derby winners Lapidist and Robin Hood.

But every year, the 2500 metre distance comes under discussion with much passion on both sides of the argument.

“It’s been an ongoing discussion right from since I can remember. It is very early in the season for young horses to run over 2500, so there are pros and cons, but we're happy to leave it at the distance. It’s unique. And it’s hard to get a horse there,” trainer Trent Busuttin said.

“It’s pretty simple. If trainers, or owners, don't want to run their horses that early over that distance, they don't have to do so.”

Wagering and field sizes drives racing's income

If trainers truly had an issue with the distance of the Derby, the field size would be an indication of a problem, and yet a full field of 16 will face the starter in 2026.

In fact, the Derby has had a full field of 16 every year since 2020 when 14 horses faced the starter which is the smallest field in the last fifteen years. If wagering increases with field size, then the Derby must be a decent wagering race, and thus that income stream should be protected by keeping the conditions that trainers send full fields to.

“One of the arguments is you would get a stronger field if they raced over the 2000 metres. But some years you do, and some years you don't. The Spring Champion Stakes is a 2000 metre Group 1 the week before and it’s a $2 million race and invariably doesn’t get outstanding form,” Busuttin said.

Argue the quality of the form all you like, but the Spring Champion Stakes also regularly has a smaller field than the Derby.

This year's G1 Spring Champion Stakes had a field of nine. The year prior had 13 runners, and 10 the year before that. None of the last ten runnings of the Spring Champion had more than 13 runners. On this evidence alone, the VRC Derby is currently better supported by trainers in terms of number of runners than the Spring Champion Stakes.

“The Derby’s got a better record that people suggest. The only way to stop the argument is to drop it to 2000 metres and see what happens. The fact that the VRC have thrown extra money behind it shows where they are fully committed to it. So hopefully that continues.”

Why not question the Oaks distance?

With the Oaks only a week after the Derby, one wonders why so many racing commentators discuss the shortening the distance for the Derby but never for the Oaks. Are fillies considered to be tougher and stronger than colts who are too weak to run the same trip one week prior? Shortening the trip for the colts and not talking about the fillies gives a perception that colts need coddling.

“Supposedly the females are the weaker sex, but the Oaks runs a week later and no one seems to question that,” Busuttin said.

The last filly to win the G1 VRC Derby was Frances Tressady (Tressady {GB}) in 1923, so history is against Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Quick Finish (Grunt {NZ}) who competes in this year’s Derby. The last start G3 Ethereal Stakes winner has won three of her four starts.

“Our filly has beaten the colts already. She ran quicker time in the Ethereal than the Caulfield Classic on the same day,” co-trainer, Calvin McEvoy, told racing.com.

“With the VRC putting the prizemoney up to $3 million, compared to the $1 million (for the Oaks), has been a reason why we’ve elected to switch. The fillies probably, in my opinion, look a bit stronger this year, with those couple coming down from Sydney.

“It’s a little bit left field. Usually, it’s the Wakeful into the Oaks, why can’t we go to the Derby and then maybe back-up in the Oaks? We will consider it.”

Precocity is required for the Derby

The G1 VRC Derby is held four months into the new season at the end of October or early November, similar to the G1 Kentucky Derby which is on the first Saturday in May. The G1 Epsom Derby in early June is five months into the Northern Hemisphere season. These spring Derbys have traditionally had a massive impact on global pedigrees.

“Statistically, you need to have run as a 2-year-old to win the Oaks or the Derby in the spring,” Ciaron Maher’s Head Of Bloodstock Will Bourne said.

In the last 20 runnings of the G1 VRC Derby, only two winners had no starts at two. One of those was G1 Melbourne Cup and G1 Turnbull Stakes winner Efficient (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) who made his debut in late August before winning his maiden at start two. Extra Brut (Domesday), the 2018 Derby winner, debut in early August running second before winning at his second start. He won the Listed UCI Stakes on the way to the Derby and was third against the older horses in the G1 LKS Mackinnon Stakes in his next start after his Derby victory.

Of the other 18 all raced at two, although only eight were juvenile winners. Prized Icon won the G1 Champagne Stakes at two, the only horse in the past 20 years to have been a Derby winner who was a juvenile Group 1 winner.

The Ciaron Maher stable have three runners this year with Murshidi (Maurice {Jpn}), Vallice (Maurice {Jpn}) and Skua (Ghaiyyath {Ire}).

“Murshidi’s come through the (Geelong Classic) run very well. I still feel he’s definitely got improvement in him, his skin, his coat and all that, he’s going to improve again. The distance is only going to be a positive for him. He should strip pretty right and Blake Shinn staying onboard is a bit of a vote of confidence there as well,” Maher told racing.com.

“Skua has the same breeding as Observer. He was right back to form here (Flemington) the other day and 2500m as well, he’s crying out for that trip. He came through the race well. He’s been busy but I feel he’ll really relish the 2500m.

“He’s probably got the best turn of foot of the three. It’s been his plan all the way along. There’s not a lot between all the Derby horses, I think but Vallice probably has the best turn of foot.”

Last year’s winner Ciaron Maher-trained Observer had three starts at two, winning at Caulfield. Of the four winners before Observer, Goldrush Guru (American Pharoah {USA}) who won the year before Observer raced twice at two including a start in the G3 SAJC Breeders’ Stakes. Riff Rocket was a winner on debut as an April juvenile, and Manzoice (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) debuted as a July 2-year-old with a second placing.

Hitotsu had three starts at two, all in stakes company including the G1 Blue Diamond, albeit without winning at that age. He won the G1 Australian Guineas and G1 Australian Derby in the autumn before heading to stud where his oldest crop have just turned two.

Waller knows it’s about fitness and class

Chris Waller, who has Stormy Marco (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and True Tone (Dundeel {NZ}) in this year’s Derby, has won the race three times. Preferment (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) in 2014, Manzoice in 2022 and the ill-fated Riff Rocket in 2023.

“He (Stormy Marco) was good in the Spring Champion … they have to be very fit to run the 2500m … and he will certainly have that on his side,” Waller said.

“He's by Wootton Bassett who is an international sire who continues to make headlines in the northern hemisphere and down here. So from that aspect, and from the dam side, there is enough there to suggest the distance shouldn't be a problem.”

All three of Waller’s Derby winners have won stakes races after their Derby win with Preferment adding the G1 Turnbull Stakes, G1 Australian Cup and G1 BMW Stakes. Riff Rocket won the G1 Rosehill Guineas and G1 Australian Derby in his autumn before sadly dying of colic and robbing fans of a potentially great staying gelding.

Manzoice has been a solid gelding since the Derby, winning the G3 Tattersalls Cup and placing in the G2 Brisbane Cup. Along with 2024 winner Goldrush Guru, he’s the only Derby winner still racing.

“True Tone is similar to Preferment. Preferment came through the Geelong Classic and won his maiden in the Victoria Derby and went on to win a number of Group 1 races.

“True Tone ran a place in the Geelong Classic, which is over 2200m, and I think that was a good test for him. That was his first run beyond a mile. It was a big step up and it was a pass mark and he will be ready to run the 2500m now.”

Busuttin’s pair are set to go

One thing Trent Busuttin was keen to talk about was the strong programming headed towards the Derby. There's no excuse for not planning to get a horse into the Derby if the horse is good enough.

“There is every opportunity. There’s a very solid program running through for New South Wales based horses and for Victorian horses. You've got the right racing, the right programming.”

The 1800 metre Byerley Handicap for juveniles in July offers a ballot free entry to the Derby and was won by Ko Phangan (Ole Kirk) in 2026, who is trained by Busuttin and Natalie Young, but isn’t in this year’s Derby field.

Busuttin and Young have two runners in this year’s Derby being Cignetti (NZ) (Super Seth) and Icy You (Pinatubo {Ire}). Cignetti had two starts at two, running third on debut before finishing mid-field to boom stablemate Blind Raise (NZ) (Ace High) in the Listed Anzac Day Stakes. He won his first start at three, and comes into the Derby off a third in the G3 Caulfield Classic.

Icy You will have to buck history as a horse who didn’t race at two, but he placed on debut in early August before winning his maiden. He comes into the Derby off a second placing in the Listed Geelong Classic.

“They’ve both had blemish free preparations. They're both going there with genuine chances in a very even year,” Busuttin said.

Busuttin won the Derby with Sangster (NZ) (Savabeel) in 2011. He went on to add the G1 International Stakes in New Zealand as well as the G1 Auckland Cup.

“The Derby is older than the Melbourne Cup, and people always say that things change and you have got to go with the changes, but I think tradition still certainly plays its part too.”

The tradition of discussing the distance of the Derby has become set into the media landscape. Whatever happens on Saturday, the history of the race shows that the winner will be more than likely a high class horse who goes on with it.