WATC Derby

Winners and Past Results for the WATC Derby.

The WATC Derby is one of the premier staying events hosted by Perth Racing Club during the autumn racing carnival in April.

Although the WATC Derby has enjoyed Group 1 status until 2011 it has been downgraded to Group 2 for the 2012 edition with a reduction in prize money to $400,000 as well.

Three year old horses travel over the traditional distance of 2400 metres of the Ascot Racetrack in Perth under set weight conditions in a race that is often taken by the above average local stayer rather than a top liner. However, it does attract interstate three year old talent looking for a warm up for major staying events over the year.

The Group 3 Sires Produce Stakes is also held on the same day. The Group 1 WA Oaks held a week earlier at Ascot over the same distance is one of the better form guides in recent times. Level weights favour the above average stayers who more often than not are the ones to pick as winners and place getters.

The natural progression for some of the runners in the WATC Derby is the Group 2 Perth Cup. Promising stayers have also gone on to contest in major races like the Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup, and Caulfield Stakes back on the east coast later in the year. They may also tackle the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic and CB Cox Stakes at Ascot later in spring.

The WATC Derby is among the oldest races hosted at Ascot. It began as a principal race in 1888 and was promoted to Group 1 in 1979.

Among the talented stayers to win in recent times include Plastered in 2005, Cats Fun in 2007, and Chartreux in 2010.

The Ascot Racecourse is one of the oldest in the nation located 8 km east of Perth’s city centre and is also the headquarters of Perth Racing Club. It is considered the ‘Grand Old Lady’ of Australian racetracks that sees plenty of action throughout the year.