Milestone Memories: The Derby

First run in 1855, the Derby is a true test of stamina for three-year-olds, with many Australian equine champions listed in its honour roll.

The VRC’s Joe McGrath reflects on some of the milestone victories in this historic race.

1995 - Nothin’ Leica Dane

30 YEARS AGO

In the 1995 three-year-old season, racing featured a remarkable list of participants. Octagonal, Saintly, Filante, and Nothin’ Leica Dane would all be graduates of the 1995 year, with Nothin’ Leica Dane becoming an early Group 1 winner for Australian Racing Hall of Famer and First Lady of Racing, Gai Waterhouse.

His bold racing style saw him adopt a forward position, as is common with most Waterhouse horses, and in the final stages, he held off the champion performer and Cox Plate winner, Octagonal. Octagonal had to endure a forced jockey change after regular race rider Darren Gauci was unavailable due to a fall earlier in the day. Shane Scriven became the new rider.

To add romance to the victory, Gai’s father, the legendary TJ Smith, was present to witness it. Reminiscent of Tulloch, a previous Smith VRC Derby winner in 1957, the temptation to back up in the Melbourne Cup proved enticing. More so than for Tulloch, as connections declined that opportunity, perhaps later regretting it.

The Nothin’ Leica Dane team chose a different path and nearly succeeded, with the three-year-old finishing four lengths behind Doriemus in the Cup on a heavy 10 track. He carried 47.5kg in the Cup, aiming to become the first three-year-old since Skipton to win the Derby–Cup double, a feat last achieved in 1941. 

1965  Tobin Bronze

60 YEARS AGO

One of the great three-year-olds to win the Victoria Derby and then go on to achieve greater feats as an older horse was Tobin Bronze.

Often described by Australian Racing Hall of Famer, Jim Johnson, as the best horse he ever rode, the 1965 Victoria Derby was just one of many feature races on this horse’s CV.

He would go on to win the 1966 and 1967 Cox Plates as well as the 1967 Caulfield Cup, carrying 9 stone 10 pounds. His performances attracted such international interest that he was subsequently sold to the United States.

Raced by Alfred, Walter, and Donald Brown of Adelaide, Tobin Bronze’s Derby victory came off the back of a win in the Geelong Derby Trial and a second-place finish behind Star Affair in the Caulfield Guineas.

His victory in the 1965 Victoria Derby saw him progress to the Melbourne Cup the following Tuesday, where he finished a credible eighth behind the Bart Cummings-trained mare, Light Fingers.

Tobin Bronze was bred by Walter Brown at his Narrung Stud in South Australia, out of his Victoria Oaks winner, Amarco. He came from a strong family tracing back to 1921 Melbourne Cup winner, Sister Olive. 

1925 - Manfred

100 YEARS AGO

The enigmatic Manfred would historically be remembered as one of the most talented and revered horses ever to race in Australia. Enigmatic to the extent he would now and again refuse to jump when the strand start lifted, and on occasions failed to tack on to the field.

A legendary example was the 1925 AJC Derby, where he missed the start by about seven seconds but still managed to get up and win! 
In the 1925 Victoria Derby, he won by a staggering 12 lengths when ridden by Frank Dempsey.

In a field of seven, he defeated Balgamba and Hampden. Between the AJC and VRC Derbies, he refused to take part in the Caulfield Guineas when starting odds-on but managed to win the W.S. Cox Plate, defeating The Night Patrol at his next start. He was sent out a hot favourite for the 1925 Melbourne Cup, running second to Windbag in a most memorable rendition.

Many believe that on his day, he was equal to the likes of Phar Lap, Amounis, and Peter Pan – all greats of that era. He was raced by Mr Ben Chaffey, went to stud, and sired the 1937 Melbourne Cup winner, The Trump.

Known for his cantankerous behaviour, when the ‘real’ Manfred turned up there was no stopping him, as demonstrated in the 1925 Victoria Derby. His time of 2:31.5 took two seconds off the race record, set previously by Frances Tressady, and equalled the track record set by the former 1910 Melbourne Cup winner, Comedy King.

1915 - Patrobas

110 YEARS AGO

Owned by Mrs Edith Widdis of Rosedale, Victoria, Patrobas is the only horse to win the VATC Caulfield Guineas, VRC Victoria Derby and the VRC Melbourne Cup in a single season.

Trained by Charlie Wheeler, his victory in the 1915 Victoria Derby marked the first time the Victoria Derby winner had been owned by a female. Similarly, just three days later, he won the Melbourne Cup.

He is one of only 13 racehorses to achieve the Victoria Derby–Melbourne Cup double within one season. Ridden by legendary jockey, Bobbie Lewis, who won eight VRC Derbies and four Melbourne Cups, Patrobas was sired by Wallace, who won the 1895 Victoria Derby and became one of the most successful stallions sired by the 1890 Melbourne Cup winner, Carbine.

Patrobas continued to perform until the age of five, adding the VRC St Leger, Essendon Stakes, King’s Plate, and VATC St George Stakes to his record. A statue in his honour stands in Rosedale, Gippsland, where his owner resided for many years. 

1880 - Grand Flaneur

145 YEARS AGO

No winner of the Victoria Derby can match the profile of Grand Flaneur. Nine victories from as many starts, including a Victoria Derby triumph in only his fourth outing. He would go on to win the Melbourne Cup at his next start, just three days later.

Grand Flaneur was trained by Thomas Brown, who had ridden the 1878 Melbourne Cup winner, Calamia. In the Victoria Derby, he was ridden by the great Tom Hales, who would ultimately ride seven Victoria Derby winners.

Eleven runners lined up for the 1880 Victoria Derby, which was run in the relatively slow time of 2 minutes 44 seconds. He won the race by a length to second-placed, Progress, with Mulatto a further 12 lengths away in third. The margin would suggest he was a cut above his opposition.

Notably, he went on to claim the Melbourne Cup just three days later, later siring Bravo in 1889 and Patron in 1894—making him the first horse to both win the Cup and sire a Cup winner.

He was bred by the Hon. E.K. Cox at Fernhill Stud, in Penrith, New South Wales, and won most races with relative ease. If not for injury late in his three-year-old year, he might have gone on to win even more races.