Queensland Derby
The Queensland Derby is a Group 1 race for three-year-olds conducted by the Brisbane Racing Club as part of the Queensland racing carnival.
The Queensland Derby was first run in 1868 won by Hermit.
The Queensland Derby is run under set weight conditions and is usually run over the mile and a half but in 2017/2018 was over 2200m at Doomben same as in 2015. It was back to Eagle Farm from 2019.
From 2021 the Derby was moved forward two weeks, away from Stradbroke day.
Most winners of the Queensland Derby would come through either the Rough Habit Plate or the Grand Prix Stakes. In consecutive years Brambles (2012) and Hawkspur (2013) did the treble. The Grand Prix is now held later in the year but Kovalica still did the double.
Before Eagle Way's win, the previous Queensland trained winner was Ice Chariot in 2006.
Fillies can run well in the race when they attempt it. Dariana, Riva San, Camarena (did not run in the delayed Oaks but chose the Derby instead), Royal Magic in the last 30 years won for the girls but there have been multiple placegetters too.
Rough Habit's first foray into racing in Queensland was to win the Queensland Derby. He would go onto win multiple Stradbrokes, Doomben Cups and Hollindales.
Three recent Derby winners have gone on to race with some distinction in Hong Kong.
In 2009 Court Ruler defeated Shocking in the Queensland Derby. Five months later Shocking would win the Melbourne Cup.
The Derby runner up Vow And Declare would win the Melbourne Cup six months later.
Following a brilliant ride on Pinarello in the 2022 Derby, Leith Innes then immediately retired from race riding.
The Queensland Derby in 2020 was cancelled due to the coronavirus.
It was upped to $1,000,000 in 2023.
Past winners include Lough Neagh (1931), Spear Chief (1937), Tulloch (1957), Royal Sovereign (1964), Tails (1968), Analie (1973), Double Century (1979), Kingston Town (1980), Strawberry Road (1983), Handy Proverb (1986), Rough Habit (1990), Yippyio (1997), Freemason (2000), County Tyrone (2002), Hawkspur (2013) and Kovalica (2023).
The 2023 Queensland Derby was won by Kovalica from Fame and Stroke Of Luck.