The Great Northern Derby was a set-weights thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of 2400 m at Ellerslie Racecourse in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

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 ...

. It was discontinued in 1972 after being combined with 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 ...

Dalray 1952 VRC Melbourne Cup Jockey Bill Williamson Trainer Clarrie McCarthy

History

The inaugural running of the Derby was in May 1875, when racing was held at Ellerslie Racecourse for the first time. Just three horses took part, of which one was withdrawn before the start and another failed to complete the course, leaving Toi to finish the race and become the first Derby winner. In 1887 it was renamed the ''ARC Great Northern Derby Principal race over 12F'' The race kept the name, the Great Northern Derby, regularly until 1973 when it was combined with the New Zealand Derby from Riccarton (Christchurch) to form one race, called the

, which was from then onwards run at Ellerslie. Riccarton was instead given two 1600m races for three-year-olds in place of its Derby, the New Zealand 1000 Guineas and 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 ...

. Only a small number of fillies, including the great

Desert Gold Desert Gold may refer to: * ''Geraea canescens'', a wildflower also known as Desert Sunflower * Desert Gold (horse), a New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse **Desert Gold (1919 film), ''Desert Gold'' (1919 film), an Australian film about the racehorse ...

, have ever won the Derby against the male horses. Many of New Zealand's most famous racehorses feature on the Derby winners' list, including

Kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

Mainbrace Mainbrace was a champion New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who won 23 of his 25 race starts and was placed second in the other two. Notably the two losses were to the same horse, The Unicorn, who he beat on other occasions. When he broke dow ...

and

Gloaming Gloaming may refer to: * Twilight, the period after sunset and before the darkness of night * The Gloaming, an Irish traditional music group ** ''The Gloaming'' (album), their first album * Gloaming (horse) (1915–1932), a Thoroughbred racehorse ...

Winners

* 1972 - Corroboree * 1971 - Master John * 1970 - Kirrama * 1969 - Piko * 1968 - Bardall * 1967 - Ben Lomond * 1966 - Star Belle * 1965 - Peterman * 1964 - Sobig * 1963 - Ichtar * 1962 - Tatua * 1961 - Cracksman * 1960 - Stipulate * 1959 - Gitano * 1958 - Lawful * 1957 - Passive/Gibraltar * 1956 - Syntax * 1955 - Somerset Fair * 1954 - Fox Myth * 1953 - Programme * 1952 -

Dalray Dalray was a notable New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1952 Melbourne Cup and Mackinnon Stakes. Dalray was also famously a ‘certainty’ beaten in the 1952 Sydney Cup. When his owner was quizzed about the defeat he declared "P ...

* 1951 -

* 1950 - Sweet Spray * 1949 - Tauloch * 1948 - Sweet Nymph * 1947 - Beau Le Havre * 1946 - Lady Foxbridge * 1945 - Coronaire * 1944 - Expanse * 1943 - Indian Princess * 1942 - Regal Fox * 1941 -

* 1940 -

Beau Vite Beau Vite was a New Zealand-bred brown Thoroughbred Stallion, who developed into a grand stayer performing in New Zealand and Australia and raced from a two-year-old to a five-year-old on wet or dry tracks recording 31 wins from 5 furlongs to 2� ...

* 1939 - Defaulter * 1938 - Courtcraft * 1937 - Essex * 1936 - Greek Shepherd * 1935 - Gay Blonde * 1934 - Red Manfred * 1933 - Silver Scorn * 1932 - Bronze Eagle * 1931 - Karapoti * 1930 - Hunting Cry * 1929 - Red Heckle * 1928 - Martarma * 1927 - Commendation * 1926 - Star Stranger * 1925 - Count Cavour * 1924 - Ballymena * 1923 - Enthusiasm * 1922 - Winning Hit * 1921 - Gasbag * 1920 - Royal Stag * 1919 -

* 1918 - Estland * 1917 - Sasanof * 1916 -

* 1915 - Reputation * 1914 - Cherubini * 1913 - Bon Reve * 1912 - Counterfeit * 1911 - Danube * 1910 - Kilwinning * 1909 - Husbandman * 1908 - Boniform * 1907 - Zimmerman * 1906 - Multifid * 1905 - Gladstone * 1904 - Gladsome * 1903 - Wairiki * 1902 - Menschikoff * 1901 - Renown * 1900 - Miss Delaval * 1899 - Blue Jacket * 1898 - St. Crispin * 1897 - Nestor * 1896 - Fabulist * 1895 - Stepfeldt * 1894 - Loyalty * 1893 - St. Hippo * 1892 - Morion * 1891 - Medallion * 1890 - Tirailleur * 1889 - Cuirassier * 1888 - Sextant * 1887 - Disowned * 1886 - Foul Shot * 1885 - Tigridia * 1884 - Nelson * 1883 - Welcome Jack * 1882 - Fitz Hercules * 1881 - Tim Whiffler * 1880 - Libeller * 1879 - Omega * 1878 - Venus Transit * 1877 - Danebury * 1876 - Ariel * 1875 - Toi {{div col end

History

Winners

See also