The 2010 New Zealand Derby was a

horse race Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

which took place at

Ellerslie Racecourse Ellerslie Racecourse is the main racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand, for thoroughbred racehorses. It is an undulating, grass circuit in the suburb of Ellerslie, with a circumference of just under 1,900 metres. Racing is conducted in a clockwi ...

on Saturday 6 March 2010. It was the 135th running of the

New Zealand Derby The New Zealand Derby is a set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run over a distance of 2,400 metres (12 furlongs) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held on the first Saturday in March, as the opening day o ...

, and it was won by

Military Move Military Move (Chinese:軍事行動) is a New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse. On March 6, 2010, he won the 135th running of the New Zealand Derby. The gelding is trained by Shaune Ritchie, who was the strapper for the hugely successful and popu ...

. The race was one of the most highly anticipated runnings of the New Zealand Derby in years, with a dual Group 1-winning colt seeking to win the

VRC Derby The Victoria Derby, also known as the Penfolds Victoria Derby, is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held under Set Weights conditions over a distance of 2,500 metres at Flemington Racecourse, in Melbour ...

double and two high-class fillies entered to take on the males in an attempt to secure a rare win for a filly in New Zealand's most prestigious three-year-old race. The favourite was

Zarzuela () is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular songs, as well as dance. The etymology of the name is uncertain, but some propose it may derive from the name of ...

, a daughter of Zabeel who in an impressive Derby campaign won the

Great Northern Guineas Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

Waikato Guineas Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, t ...

and

Championship Stakes The Championship Stakes, run at Ellerslie Racecourse, is a Group 2 horse race run for three-year-olds at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. When the New Zealand Derby was moved from December to March in the 2005-06 season, the race w ...

. The other top filly in the race was Katie Lee, a winner of six stakes races who in November made history by becoming the first horse to win both the

New Zealand 2000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas is a Group One set-weight Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of 1600 metres at Riccarton Park in Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch New Zealand cup week The New Zealand 2000 Guineas is hel ...

and

New Zealand 1000 Guineas The 1000 Guineas is a Group One set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run over a distance of 1600 metres (1 mile) at Riccarton Park in Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch New Zealand Cup week It is on the final Satu ...

. Many doubted her ability to stay the 2400m of the race and perhaps that factor, combined with a gruelling 10-race campaign exclusively at stakes level and the slightly shifty track conditions of the Derby, was her undoing. Of the male horses, the most talked about was

winner, Monaco Consul. The son of

High Chaparral High Chaparral (1 March 1999 – 21 December 2014) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from September 2001 to October 2003, he ran 13 times and won 10 races. His win in the Racing Post Trophy made him one ...

was seeking to become the first horse ever to win the VRC-New Zealand Derby double. He extinguished his own chances by running out badly at the last turn. The other highly fancied runner was

Corporal Jones Lance Corporal Jack Jones is a fictional Home Guard platoon lance corporal and veteran of the British Empire, first portrayed by Clive Dunn in the BBC television sitcom ''Dad's Army''. His catchphrases are "Don't panic!", "Permission to speak, ...

, who in five career starts had never finished further back than second. After a memorable two-horse battle down the straight in the

between Corporal Jones and Zarzuela, many predicted a repeat in the Derby and that the same two horses would have the race to themselves. But in the excitement of the head-bobbing finish between those two horses in the

, many overlooked the strong run from well back in the field by

runner-up

, who went out on Derby day at 15–1. It was Military Move who took the honours, though, handling the 2400m of the Derby brilliantly and aided by a perfect ride from Michael Walker. Walker, who in May 2008 was nearly killed when he fell 10m down a bank while on a pig hunting trip, celebrated the win in a memorable and emotional manner. It was his first Group 1 win since his accident, and a race he later said he had always dreamt of winning.

Race details

* ''Sponsor:'' Telecom * ''Prize money:'' NZ$2.2 million * ''Track:'' Good * ''Number of runners:'' 15 * ''Winner's time:'' 2:27.91

Full result

Winner's details

Further details of the winner,

: * ''Foaled:'' 7 October 2006 in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

* ''Sire:''

Volksraad The Volksraad was a people's assembly or legislature in Dutch or Afrikaans speaking government. Assembly South Africa *Volksraad (South African Republic) (1840–1902) *Volksraad (Natalia Republic), a similar assembly that existed in the Natalia Re ...

; ''Dam:'' All Night Party (Just A Dancer) * ''Owner:''

Steven Lo Steven Lo Kit-Sing (, born 8 June 1959) is a Hong Kong and Macanese businessman, investor, filmmaker, and philanthropist. Born in Hong Kong, Steven Lo had his upbringing and education in Macau. After graduation from high school, he worked in ...

* ''Trainer:'' Shaune Ritchie * ''Breeder:''

Windsor Park Stud Windsor Park Stud is a New Zealand thoroughbred stud farm that was established in 1998 near Cambridge, in the Waikato region of the North Island. Windsor Park was established by Ian and Jesse Duncan. In 1971, it passed ownership to Nelson and Sue ...

* ''Starts:'' 8 * ''Wins:'' 2 * ''Seconds:'' 2 * ''Thirds:'' 1 * ''Earnings:'' $1,502,775

The road to the Derby

Early-season appearances in 2009-10 prior to running in the Derby.

* Military Move – ''2nd Bonecrusher Stakes, 3rd Wellington Guineas, 2nd

, 5th Wellington Stakes, 4th Waikato Guineas, 5th

'' * Corporal Jones – ''2nd Waikato Guineas, 2nd

'' * Handsome Zulu – ''2nd Wellington Stakes'' * Zarzuela – ''8th Levin Classic, 1st

, 1st Waikato Guineas, 1st

'' * Time Keeper – ''3rd

, 3rd Karaka Mile, 4th

'' * Martial Art – ''3rd Karaka Mile, 7th

'' * Jungle Juice – ''3rd Waikato Guineas, 13th

'' * Imabayboy – ''5th Waikato Guineas'' * Smokin' Gun – ''13th Waikato Guineas'' * Katie Lee – ''3rd Gold Trail Stakes, 1st James & Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes, 1st

, 1st

, 2nd Eulogy Stakes, 1st Eight Carat Classic, 2nd Royal Stakes, 3rd Desert Gold Stakes, 1st Sir Tristram Fillies Classic'' * King Raedwald – ''4th Levin Classic, 3rd

Subsequent Group 1 wins

Subsequent wins at Group 1 level by runners in the 2010 New Zealand Derby. * Time Keeper - 2010

Easter Handicap The Easter Handicap or Easter Stakes is a major horse race held at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is raced over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 1 mile) by three-year-old and upwards thoroughbreds. Race history Altho ...

References

{{Reflist

External links

2010 New Zealand Derby replay - YouTube

2010 in New Zealand sport New Zealand Derby March 2010 sports events in New Zealand