13 to contest 2017 Australian Derby

The Kiwis have a great chance to win a third straight Group 1 $2m BMW Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on day one of ‘The Championhips’ on Saturday with last start winners Gingernuts and Jon Snow headlining the 2017 thirteen horse field.

Kiwi Gingernuts, above, will line up in the 2017 AustrSteve Hart.alian Derby at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Kiwi Gingernuts, above, will line up in the 2017 AustrSteve Hart.alian Derby at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Tavago won last year’s Australian Derby for Kiwi trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young who has since relocated to Cranbourne outside of Melbourne and Cambridge trainer Murray Baker won the 2015 Australian Derby with Mongolian Khan.

Baker along with co-trainer Andrew Forsman will saddle up Jon Snow this year who was an impressive winner of the Group 2 $200,000 Power Distribution Australia Tulloch Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill after finishing third to Gingernuts in the Group 1 NZ$1m New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on March 4.

The Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards trained Gingernuts made it two Group 1 victories in succession when he scored a comfortable win in the Group 1 $600,000 Sky Racing Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill on March 18.

Top Kiwi jockey Opie Bosson has been aboard the Iffraaj gelding for his two Group 1 wins and is in the saddle again while Melbourne jockey Damian Lane has retained the ride on Jon Snow.

Victoria Derby winner Prized Icon is set to back up for a third week on the trot in the Australian Derby with Glyn Schofield in the saddle again after he was aboard two starts back when tenth to Gingernuts in the Rosehill Guineas and last start when he chased home Jon Snow when second in the Tulloch Stakes.

The Robbie Laing trained So Si Bon will be taking on Gingernuts again after running third to the New Zealand Derby winner in the Rosehill Guineas with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle again.

Tommy Berry rides the Team Hawkes trained Inference in the Australian Derby after partnering the So You Think colt to victory in the Group 1 $1m Girvan Waugh Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick on March 4 before the pair ran second to Gingernuts in the Rosehill Guineas.

The remainder of the field is made up of Hardham (Luke Nolen), Anaheim (Hugh Bowman), Ruthven (Mark Zahra), Harper’s Choice (Jason Collett), Hollywood Mo (Zac Purton), Impavido (Joao Moreira), Righteous Mate (Tye Angland), and Shine Tak Star (Brenton Avdulla).

Field for 2017 Australian Derby

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Hcp Rating
1 63351×6202 PRIZED ICON James Cummings Glyn Schofield 6 56.5kg 107
2 21×401111 GINGERNUTS (NZ) Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards Opie Bosson 12 56.5kg 106
3 x11433x512 INFERENCE Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Tommy Berry 4 56.5kg 100
4 x289333731 JON SNOW (NZ) Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman Damian Lane 9 56.5kg 90
5 165344×403 SO SI BON Robbie Laing Kerrin McEvoy 7 56.5kg 86
6 1x3670x671 HARDHAM David Brideoake Luke Nolen 5 56.5kg 66
7 323211×354 ANAHEIM Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young Hugh Bowman 1 56.5kg 80
8 112×522 RUTHVEN Ciaron Maher Mark Zahra 8 56.5kg 75
9 26×3121265 HARPER’S CHOICE Gerald Ryan Jason Collett 10 56.5kg 74
10 53226×5576 HOLLYWOOD MO Paul Perry Zac Purton 3 56.5kg 67
11 17346 IMPAVIDO Bjorn Baker Joao Moreira 11 56.5kg 74
12 312×758 RIGHTEOUS MATE (NZ) Mark Newnham Tye Angland 2 56.5kg 68
13 95416×5062 SHINE TAK STAR John Sargent Brenton Avdulla 13 56.5kg 59

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.