The 2017 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 4 March 2017. It was the 142nd 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 Gingernuts. Sold for $5,000 as a weanling and $42,500 as a two-year-old, Gingernuts made a low-key start to his career with two wins in his first five starts – mostly in minor midweek company. The son of Iffraaj was not even nominated for the Derby until 21 February. But everything changed in the Avondale Guineas, a Group Two race two weeks before the Derby. Gingernuts was a 26-to-one longshot in the $100,000 race and dropped back to a distant last after breaking slowly from the starting gate, but he produced a remarkable finishing burst to win by a length and a quarter. The Guineas win earned Gingernuts second-favouritism in the Derby, in which he again produced a formidable finish down the home straight to beat the Australian-trained Rising Red by a length. The win sparked huge celebrations among an ownership syndicate of more than 30 people, most wearing matching orange 'G-Nuts' caps. It was the first New Zealand Derby win for leading New Zealand syndicators Te Akau Racing, as well as for trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards. Autridge was the favourite to win the race as a jockey in 1981 aboard the undefeated Altitude, who suffered a catastrophic and fatal haemorrhage. It was the second Derby win for champion jockey

Opie Bosson Owen Patrick Bosson (born 24 July 1980), known by his short name Opie Bosson, is a jockey in Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand. Riding career Bosson started as an apprentice for Stephen Autridge, his godfather. He began his race-day riding c ...

, who won the race in

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

aboard

Mongolian Khan Mongolian Khan (foaled 19 October 2011) is a retired Australian-bred New Zealand-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2015 he won the 140th running of the New Zealand Derby before going on to win the Australian Derby becoming the first horse to com ...

Race details

* ''Sponsor:''

Vodafone New Zealand Vodafone New Zealand Limited is a New Zealand telecommunications company. It was a subsidiary of the London-listed company Vodafone Plc until 31 July 2019, when its sale to a consortium comprising Infratil Limited and Brookfield Asset Manageme ...

* ''Prize money:'' NZ$1,000,000 * ''Track:'' Good * ''Number of runners:'' 18 * ''Winner's time:'' 2:28.27

Full result

Winner's details

Further details of the winner, Gingernuts: * ''Foaled:'' 2 October 2013 at Goodwood Stud,

Palmerston North Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...

* ''Sire:'' Iffraaj; ''Dam:'' Double Elle (Generous) * ''Owner:'' Te Akau Gingernuts Syndicate (Mgr: DC Ellis) * ''Trainer:'' Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards * ''Breeder:'' Goodwood Stud * ''Starts:'' 7 * ''Wins:'' 4 * ''Seconds:'' 1 * ''Thirds:'' 0 * ''Earnings:'' $671,250

The road to the Derby

Early-season appearances in 2016-17 prior to running in the Derby. * Gingernuts – ''1st Avondale Guineas'' * Jon Snow – ''2nd

Hawke's Bay Guineas The Hawke's Bay Guineas is a major Thoroughbred horse race in New Zealand for three-year-old horses. In 2003 the stake was boosted to $100,000 and the race was moved to the first Saturday in October, meaning that it is run on the same day as the S ...

, 8th

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 ...

, 3rd Great Northern Guineas, 3rd

Levin Classic The Group One Levin Classic - formerly the Bayer Classic - is one of the premier races for three-year-old thoroughbreds in New Zealand. History The race, first run under the name Levin Turf Classic, was originally run at Levin Racecourse until t ...

, 3rd Karaka 3YO Mile, 7th Herbie Dyke Stakes'' * Beaumarchais – ''9th Avondale Guineas'' * Sacred Elixir – ''1st Caulfield Guineas Prelude, 8th

Caulfield Guineas The Caulfield Guineas is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held over 1600 metres (1 mile) at set weights for three-year-old horses at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia. Total prize money is A$3 million. The race ...

, 1st Moonee Valley Vase, 2nd

Victoria 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 ...

, 4th Karaka 3YO Mile, 7th Avondale Guineas'' * Charles Road – ''2nd Avondale Guineas'' * Camino Rocoso – ''8th Avondale Guineas'' * Excalibur – ''5th Trevor Eagle Memorial, 6th Levin Classic, 6th Waikato Guineas'' * Highlad – ''1st Wanganui Guineas, 3rd UCI Stakes, 9th Caulfield Classic, 8th

, 7th Waikato Guineas, 5th Avondale Guineas'' * Wyndspelle – ''3rd Northland Breeders' Stakes, 5th

, 3rd Sarten Memorial, 5th

, 5th

, 1st Waikato Guineas'' * Savile Row – ''3rd Barneswood Farm Stakes, 2nd

, 2nd

, 2nd Herbie Dyke Stakes'' * Leading Role – ''4th Zacinto Stakes, 9th Levin Classic, 10th Avondale Guineas'' * Mongolian Wolf – ''10th Northland Breeders' Stakes, 8th Bonecrusher Stakes, 3rd Avondale Guineas'' * Stephenstihls – ''2nd Zacinto Stakes, 7th Karaka 3YO Mile'' * Lincoln Blue – ''1st Wellington Stakes, 1st 3YO Salver, 4th

, 3rd Waikato Guineas'' * Redeem The Dream – ''2nd 3YO Salver, 4th Avondale Guineas'' * Cha Siu Bao – ''4th

, 4th Great Northern Guineas, 4th Waikato Guineas, 6th Avondale Guineas''

Subsequent Group 1 wins

Subsequent wins at Group 1 level by runners in the 2017 New Zealand Derby. * Gingernuts -

Rosehill Guineas The Rosehill Guineas is an Australian Turf Club Group One Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds at set weights run over a distance of 2000 metres at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia annually in March. Total prize money for t ...

Windsor Park Plate The Arrowfield Stud Plate is a New Zealand Thoroughbred horse race run at Hastings Racecourse in Hawke's Bay. The race is registered as the Horlicks Plate and has been previously known as: * the Windsor Park Plate. In 2022 the race sponsor and na ...

* Jon Snow -

Australian Derby Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

References

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