Top 5 Queensland Derby winners
The Queensland Derby (2400m) is a Group 1 race for the three-year-olds in Brisbane and has been won by some champion gallopers over the years. See who made our list of top 5 Queensland Derby winners since 1980.
In modern times, the feature race has been taken out by some outstanding gallopers.
Top 5 Queensland Derby winners.
1. KINGSTON TOWN (1980)
One of the greatest ever to grace racetracks in Australia, Kingston Town capped off a remarkable three-year-old season by taking out the Queensland Derby in 1980. The win in that race was his eighth in succession after earlier winning the Rosehill Guineas (2000m), Tancred Stakes (2400m), Australian Derby (2400m) and Sydney Cup (3200m). He is well remembered for becoming the first horse to win the Cox Plate (2040m) on three occasions doing so in 1980,1981 and 1982. That feat was equalled and bettered by Winx (2015-2018) and he sits alongside her as one of the best.
2. STRAWBERRY ROAD (1983)
Strawberry Road picked up from where Kingston Town left in 1983 and took out the Rosehill Guineas and Australian Derby en route to his Queensland Derby success. He went on to win the Cox Plate in 1983 before being sold to overseas interests where he performed brilliantly in both Europe and North America. He tasted success in Germany, France and the USA, while he was competitive in the Prix de’l’Arc de Triomphe and the Japan Cup.
3. ROUGH HABIT (1990)
Rough Habit begun his career in New Zealand and is one of the best ever to come out of that nation but it was in Queensland that he enjoyed some serious success, picking up the Doomben Cup on three occasions as well as the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) on two occasions. The first of his six Group 1 wins in Queensland came in the Queensland Derby, while he would go on to win 11 times at the highest level.
4. FREEMASON (2000)
Freemason was the Queensland Derby winner in 2000 and while he only won seven of his 62 starts, he was thereabouts throughout his career in some of the major races. The consistent performer raced in the all-cerise colours of the Ingham owners and was too good for Citra’s Prince in the 2000 edition of this race. He is best remembered for a stirring win in the 2003 Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill, engaging in an epic battle with the mighty Northerly, before somehow getting the upper hand on the champion late in the piece.
5. MR QUICKIE (2019)
Mr Quickie is a recent winner of the Queensland Derby, taking out the event in 2019 ahead of that year’s eventual Melbourne Cup (3200m) winner, Vow And Declare. He was set for staying races after that success but in 2020 and 2021 he has made a name for himself as a miler and was successful in the Toorak Handicap (1600m), carting 59kg to victory with Jamie Kah on board. In 2021 he placed 3rd in the Futurity Stakes (1400m) before again winning with a big weight in the Victoria Handicap (1400m).