<p>The $2 million Australian Derby is the premier staying classic for three-year-olds at the famous Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.</p> <p>The 2024 Australian Derby, run over 2400m at Randwick racecourse, is one of four Group 1 races on the first day of Sydney racing extravaganza, The Championships, run on Saturday, April 6. The Derby is race 9 at 5.15pm (AEST).</p> <p>The Australian Derby, originally named the AJC Derby, has a deep history going back to 1861 – the same year the first Melbourne Cup was run. In 1979, the Australian Derby was moved from the spring to the autumn, splitting it from Melbourne’s Victoria Derby.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Star-studded Australian Derby Field</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This year’s edition of the Australian Derby has attracted a cracker field of young stayers.</p> <p>Sitting atop most Australian Derby tips is Riff Rocket, who will be attempting to be only the fourth horse to win the Victoria Derby-Australian Derby double since the 1979-80 season – when the great Dulcify became the first to do it. Mahogany did it in 1992-93 and Hitotsu added to the history by winning both Derbys in 2020-21.</p> <p>Riff Rocket has the profile to repeat the dose with Australia’s leading trainer Chris Waller and leading jockey James McDonald supporting his quest.</p> <p>Last year’s Australian Derby was won by Major Beel, who gave Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott their first win in the famous classic. Major Beel, who was a $31 chance, and the runner-up Virtuous Circle haven’t looked like winning a race since.</p> <p>This year, Waterhouse and Bott have the promising Ganbare to represent them. Ganbare set the pace when third in the Rosehill Guineas, and all indications are that he will attempt to repeat Major Beel’s all-the-way win last year. Major Beel’s rider Tim Clark is in the saddle and he’s a master at dictating a winning tempo.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>It's Sydney in the Autumn … It’s Wet</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The BOM-inspired prediction of a drenching in Sydney is likely to guarantee a heavy track, which means that the horses at the top of the Australian Derby tips are likely to be those proven on wet ground and, more importantly, the best stayers capable of sustaining a long galloper through the mud.</p> <p>That’s nothing new … 16 of the past 17 Australian Derbys have been run on a slow or heavy track!</p> <p>Riff Rocket and the brilliant filly Zardozi, winner of the VRC Oaks in the spring, have good enough wet form to be the main players in the Australian Derby tips. Riff Rocket handles soft ground and Zardozi is a “duck” with five of her six wins on slow-heavy ground. Last week’s Tulloch Stakes winner Wymark is another of the important Australian Derby fancies with sound wet-track form.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>The Leading Australian Derby Tips</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Riff Rocket</strong></p> <p>Exceptionally talented gelding trained by Chris Waller, who, surprisingly, is chasing his first win in the historic Australian Derby. Riff Rocket proved with his G1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) win that he’s improved from his spring campaign when he won the Victoria Derby. He’s run the distance, handles wet ground and he’s got the class. It makes him the standout Australian Derby tip.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Zardozi</strong></p> <p>Only nine fillies have won an Australian Derby in the classic’s long and rich history. Zardozi is aiming to be the first since Research (1989) to win the Derby after winning the VRC Oaks in the spring. Trainer James Cummings is confident she can match it with the “boys”, and she’s expected to relish the wet track. She deserves to be in your racing tips.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Wymark</strong></p> <p>Trained Michael Freedman didn’t consider Wymark good enough to be entered for the Australian Derby, but after winning four races on end, including last week’s G2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m), the connections paid a $44,000 late entry fee. In the past 10 years, four Tulloch Stakes winners have backed up to win the Australian Derby. Wymark has history on his side and he must be included in the Australian Derby trifecta tips.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Ceolwulf</strong></p> <p>An up-and-coming staying star who ran on strongly to finish second behind Riff Rocket in the Rosehill Guineas. If you consider Riff Rocket to be a deserved Australian Derby favourite, Ceolwulf must be in your Australian Derby tips. He’s a son of Tavistock, a proven sire of Derby winners, from a stout English family.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Ganbare</strong></p> <p>No doubt jockey Tim Clark will be attempting to repeat his win on Major Beel last year by setting the tempo in front, and making it a true staying test in the wet. There is no better at it than Clark, and for that reason, Ganbare goes into the Australian Derby tips.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Cap Ferrat</strong></p> <p>The great Irish jockey Ryan Moore rode Cap Ferrat when the gelding finished a good third behind stablemate Riff Rocket in the Rosehill Guineas. Nash Rawiller takes the ride on Saturday. Cap Ferrat is aiming to be the first maiden to win the Australian Derby since Ethiopia won in 2012. Don’t let that be the reason to leave him out of your racing tips.</p>

<h2>Australian Derby 2024 Odds</h2>