Stormy Marco has won the 2026 Victoria Derby at Flemington, giving James McDonald and Chris Waller another Group 1 together as the colt beat Cold Shower and Quick Finish in the $3 million Classic.
The Waller-trained three-year-old won the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) on the opening day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, according to the official result published by RaceHub. He won by two lengths from Cold Shower (Jett Stanley) for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, with the McEvoy-trained filly Quick Finish (Jye McNeil) third.
Murshidi (Blake Shinn) was fourth for Ciaron Maher, and Vase winner True Rebel (Billy Egan) finished fifth, Sporting News reported.
Cignetti was sixth and Cormier seventh. Sixteen horses ran after Hierarchy and emergency Locked In were scratched.
Back from Randwick to win the Derby
Stormy Marco jumped from barrier 16, one of the widest gates in the field, and came into the race off a fourth in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick a week earlier. Waller said in the lead-up that the decision to send him to Melbourne was made last Sunday, the VRC reported.
“They have to be very fit to run the 2500 metres in the Victoria Derby, and he has that on his side, and his breeding suggests he can get the trip,” Waller said before the race.
Read more: Victoria Derby 2026 Field: Cormier Draws Barrier Three
The colt is by international sire Wootton Bassett. The win gives Waller a fourth Victoria Derby. His first came with Preferment in 2014, and Manzoice won in 2022 after also running in the Spring Champion Stakes a week before the Derby.
SEN reported that Stormy Marco jumped as the favourite with Sportsbet.
Victoria Derby 2026 result
- 1st: Stormy Marco (James McDonald, Chris Waller)
- 2nd: Cold Shower (Jett Stanley, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott), 2 lengths
- 3rd: Quick Finish (Jye McNeil, Tony and Calvin McEvoy)
- 4th: Murshidi (Blake Shinn, Ciaron Maher)
- 5th: True Rebel (Billy Egan, Danny O’Brien)
Quick Finish was the only filly in the field and carried 55kg. The winner collects $1.8 million of the $3 million prize pool, according to Sporting News.
Read more: Victoria Derby Winners: Every Winner Since 1855 and Race Records
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