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New Zealand Derby

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Group I Race
New Zealand Derby

Location	Ellerslie Racecourse Auckland, New Zealand
Inaugurated:	1875
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website:	Ellerslie Racecourse
Race information
Distance	2400m (12 furlongs)
Track	Turf, right-handed
Qualification	Three-year-olds
Weight	Set-Weights
Purse	NZ$700,000

The New Zealand Derby is a set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of 2400 m at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held on the first Saturday in March, as the opening day of Auckland Cup Week. Since it was run for the first time as the ARC Auckland Derby Principal race over 12F in 1875, there have been 130 runnings of the race and it has become New Zealand's most prestigious three-year-old race. It is currently run for a purse of NZ$700,000.

History

The inaugural running of the Derby was in May 1875, when racing was held at Ellerslie Racecourse for the first time. Just three horses took part, of which one was withdrawn before the start and another failed to complete the course, leaving Toi to finish the race and become the first Derby winner. In 1887 it was renamed the ARC Great Northern Derby Principal race over 12F The race kept the name Great Northern Derby, while Riccarton Racecourse in Christchurch held the New Zealand Derby, regularly attracting better horses than the Riccarton equivalent, until 1973 when the Great Northern Derby was renamed the New Zealand Derby. Riccarton was instead given two 1600 m races for three-year-olds in place of its Derby, the One Thousand and Two Thousand Guineas. After its May debut, the race was soon moved to New Year's Day, and then finally to Boxing Day. It continued to be run on this day for many years and became a popular traditional social occasion for Aucklanders until it was moved to the first day of the new Auckland Cup Week in March. The first March running of the Derby in 2006 was won by Wahid, from the stable of Allan Sharrock in New Plymouth. Many of New Zealand's most famous racehorses feature on the Derby winners' list, including Kindergarten, Balmerino, Desert Gold, Mainbrace and Bonecrusher.

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Winners of the New Zealand Derby

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner
2007	Redoute's Dancer	Vinny Colgan	Tim Martin	P. Silvestro
2006	Wahid	Leith Innes	Allan Sharrock	Noel H. & Ron T. Stanley
2005	Xcellent	Michael Coleman	Michael Moroney	G W Breingan et al
2004	Cut The Cake	Michael Coleman	Michael Moroney	N M Anderson/G W Breingan et al
2003	St Reims	Greg Childs	Chris McNab	Rob McAnulty et al
2002	Leica Guv	Scott Seamer	Jeff McVean
2001	Hail	Noel Harris	Bruce Marsh
2000	Hades	Vinny Colgan	Roger James
1999	So Casual	Damien Oliver	Ross Taylor
1998	Zonda	Vinny Colgan	Roger James
1997	Great Command	Darren Beadman	Mike Moroney
1996	Roysyn	Vinny Colgan	Roger James
1995	Look Who's Talking	[[	[[
1994	Popsy	[[	[[
1993	The Phantom Chance	[[	[[
1992	Cavallieri	[[	[[
1991	Surfers Paradise	[[	[[
1990	Castletown	[[	[[
1989	The Gentry	[[	[[
1988	Satisfy	[[	[[
1987	Tidal Light	[[	Jim Gibbs	S A Taylor
1986	Bonecrusher	[[	Frank Ritchie	Peter J. Mitchell
1985	Jolly Jake	[[	[[
1984	I'm Henry	[[	[[
1983	Our Flight	[[	[[
1982	Isle Of Man	[[	[[
1981	Ring The Bell	[[	[[
1980	Ruling Lad	[[	[[
1979	Kaiser	[[	[[
1978	Uncle Remus	[[	[[
1977	Silver Lad	[[	[[
1976	Balmerino	[[	Brian Smith	R K Stuart