Victoria Derby Winners: Every Winner Since 1855 and Records

Victoria Derby winners stretch from Rose Of May in 1855 to Observer in 2025, with Phar Lap, Tulloch and Poseidon among the champions on the honour roll. Here is every winner of Australia’s oldest Classic, with each jockey and trainer, plus the race records, before the 2026 Victoria Derby at Flemington on Saturday 31 October.

The Victoria Derby (2500m) opens the four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington, and this year’s running carries a record $3 million in prizemoney, up from $2 million, with $1.8 million to the winner. Racing Victoria and the VRC confirmed the boost in September, calling it the 173rd Victoria Derby.

The extra money followed the Asian Pattern Committee’s review of the race’s Group 1 status. The committee kept the Derby at Group 1 level for the 2026-27 season, with a decision on 2027-28 not due until after this year’s edition is run.

The race is for three-year-olds under set weights and is known as Australia’s oldest Classic. Below is the full honour roll, checked against the Victoria Racing Club’s official Group 1 honour board.

Victoria Derby winners: the quick facts

First run: Wednesday 7 November 1855, won by the filly Rose Of May, ridden by Sam Holmes and trained by Hector Simson.
Most recent winner: Observer in 2025, ridden by Mark Zahra and trained by Ciaron Maher for Godolphin.
Most wins by a horse: Fireworks, the only dual winner, in November 1867 and again on New Year’s Day 1868.
Most wins by a jockey: Bobbie Lewis, eight, from Maltster in 1900 to Trivalve in 1927.
Most wins by a trainer: James Scobie, eight, from Maltster in 1900 to Hua in 1937.
Race record: Star Of The Realm, 2:33.60 in 1991 over the current 2500m.

Every Victoria Derby winner since 1855

Each winner is listed with the jockey first, then the trainer, newest first within each decade. Two runnings were held on New Year’s Day, in 1868 and 1869, which is why 1869 has two winners and the race has 172 winners from 171 years heading into 2026. Older trainers appear as they are recorded on the VRC honour board.

Victoria Derby winners in the 2020s

2025: Observer (Mark Zahra, Ciaron Maher)
2024: Goldrush Guru (Jamie Melham, Andrew Gluyas)
2023: Riff Rocket (James McDonald, Chris Waller)
2022: Manzoice (Michael Dee, Chris Waller)
2021: Hitotsu (John Allen, Ciaron Maher and David Eustace)
2020: Johnny Get Angry (Lachlan King, Denis Pagan)

Victoria Derby winners in the 2010s

2019: Warning (Damien Oliver, Anthony Freedman)
2018: Extra Brut (John Allen, Darren Weir)
2017: Ace High (Tye Angland, David Payne)
2016: Prized Icon (Glyn Schofield, James Cummings)
2015: Tarzino (Craig Newitt, Mick Price)
2014: Preferment (Damien Oliver, Chris Waller)
2013: Polanski (Hugh Bowman, Robbie Laing)
2012: Fiveandahalfstar (Damien Oliver, Anthony Cummings)
2011: Sangster (Hugh Bowman, Trent Busuttin)
2010: Lion Tamer (Hugh Bowman, Murray and Bjorn Baker)

Victoria Derby winners in the 2000s

2009: Monaco Consul (Corey Brown, Michael Moroney)
2008: Rebel Raider (Clare Lindop, Leon Macdonald)
2007: Kibbutz (Craig Williams, David Hayes)
2006: Efficient (Michael Rodd, Graeme Rogerson)
2005: Benicio (Noel Callow, Lee Freedman)
2004: Plastered (Paul Harvey, Lindsay Smith)
2003: Elvstroem (Damien Oliver, Tony Vasil)
2002: Helenus (Steven King, Leon Corstens)
2001: Amalfi (Damien Oliver, Peter Moody)
2000: Hit The Roof (Glen Boss, David Hall)

Victoria Derby winners in the 1990s

1999: Blackfriars (Greg Childs, Peter Hayes)
1998: Arena (Larry Cassidy, John Hawkes)
1997: Second Coming (Greg Childs, Michael Moroney)
1996: Portland Player (Greg Hall, Lee Freedman)
1995: Nothin’ Leica Dane (Shane Dye, Gai Waterhouse)
1994: Blevic (Rod Griffiths, David Hayes)
1993: Mahogany (Greg Hall, Lee Freedman)
1992: Redding (Damien Oliver, Gavin Kelly)
1991: Star Of The Realm (Steven King, John Meagher)
1990: Fire Oak (Brian Hibberd, Gordon Yorke)

Victoria Derby winners in the 1980s

1989: Stylish Century (Kevin Moses, Frank Mitchell)
1988: King’s High (Gary Clarke, Colin Hayes)
1987: Omnicorp (Jim Cassidy, Bart Cummings)
1986: Raveneaux (Ron Quinton, Jim Moloney)
1985: Handy Proverb (Jim Cassidy, Brian Mayfield-Smith)
1984: Red Anchor (Mick Dittman, Tommy Smith)
1983: Bounty Hawk (Harry White, Bart Cummings)
1982: Grosvenor (Mick Dittman, G. Murphy)
1981: Brewery Boy (Wayne Treloar, Tommy Smith)
1980: Sovereign Red (Mick Goreham, G. Murphy)

Victoria Derby winners in the 1970s

1979: Big Print (Paul Jarman, A. R. White)
1978: Dulcify (Brent Thomson, Colin Hayes)
1977: Stormy Rex (Roy Higgins, Bart Cummings)
1976: Unaware (John Stocker, Colin Hayes)
1975: Galena Boy (John Letts, J. Hawkes)
1974: Haymaker (John Miller, Colin Hayes)
1973: Taj Rossi (Roy Higgins, Bart Cummings)
1972: Dayana (Roy Higgins, Bart Cummings)
1971: Classic Mission (George Moore, S. Brown)
1970: Silver Sharpe (Pat Hyland, Tommy Smith)

Victoria Derby winners in the 1960s

1969: Daryl’s Joy (Bill Skelton, S. Brown)
1968: Always There (Geoff Lane, C. Waymouth)
1967: Savoy (Paul Jarman, K. Hilton)
1966: Khalif (Roy Higgins, D. Judd)
1965: Tobin Bronze (Noel Mifflin, H. G. Heagney)
1964: Royal Sovereign (Ray Selkrig, J. Page)
1963: Craftsman (Pat Hyland, A. R. White)
1962: Coppelius (Geoff Lane, B. Courtney)
1961: New Statesman (Geoff Lane, B. Courtney)
1960: Sky High (Neville Sellwood, J. Green)

Victoria Derby winners in the 1950s

1959: Travel Boy (Neville Sellwood, Tommy Smith)
1958: Sir Blink (Bill Williamson, J. Godby)
1957: Tulloch (George Moore, Tommy Smith)
1956: Monte Carlo (Jack Thompson, F. Dalton)
1955: Sailor’s Guide (Neville Sellwood, G. Daniel)
1954: Pride Of Egypt (Billy Cook, E. Hush)
1953: Prince Morvi (Neville Sellwood, E. Fellows)
1952: Advocate (Scobie Breasley, F. Allotta)
1951: Hydrogen (Darby Munro, E. Hush)
1950: Alister (Reg Heather, H. Wolters)

Victoria Derby winners in the 1940s

1949: Delta (Neville Sellwood, M. McCarten)
1948: Comic Court (Ossie Phillips, Jim Cummings)
1947: Beau Gem (Darby Munro, G. Jesser)
1946: Prince Standard (Billy Briscoe, D. Lewis)
1945: Magnificent (Jack O’Sullivan, A. Croall)
1944: San Martin (Scobie Breasley, L. Robertson)
1943: Precept (Ted Preston, Jim Pengilly)
1942: Great Britain (Billy Cook, H. Freedman)
1941: Skipton (Norm Creighton, J. Fryer)
1940: Lucrative (Maurice McCarten, H. Freedman)

Victoria Derby winners in the 1930s

1939: Reading (Darby Munro, J. Cush)
1938: Nuffield (Darby Munro, J. Holt)
1937: Hua (Ray Wilson, James Scobie)
1936: Talking (Adrian Knox, A. Papworth)
1935: Feldspar (Keith Voitre, L. Robertson)
1934: Theo (Maurice McCarten, F. Williams)
1933: Hall Mark (Darby Munro, J. Holt)
1932: Liberal (Jim Munro, F. Foulsham)
1931: Johnnie Jason (Jim Pike, C. Unwin)
1930: Balloon King (Jim Pike, R. O’Donnell)

Victoria Derby winners in the 1920s

1929: Phar Lap (Jim Pike, H. Telford)
1928: Strephon (Jim Pike, L. Robertson)
1927: Trivalve (Bobbie Lewis, James Scobie)
1926: Rampion (Sid Cracknell, F. Williams)
1925: Manfred (Frank Dempsey, H. McCalman)
1924: Spearfelt (George Young, V. O’Neill)
1923: Frances Tressady (Frank Dempsey, W. Foulsham)
1922: Whittier (Bunty Brown, H. McCalman)
1921: Furious (Bobbie Lewis, F. Marsden)
1920: Salitros (Myles Connell, F. Williams)

Victoria Derby winners in the 1910s

1919: Richmond Main (Albert Wood, F. Marsden)
1918: Eusebius (Les Franklin, C. Wheeler)
1917: Biplane (Ben Deeley, R. J. Mason)
1916: Wolaroi (Albert Wood, B. Quinn)
1915: Patrobas (Bill Smart, C. Wheeler)
1914: Carlita (Bobbie Lewis, J. Moore)
1913: Beragoon (Jim Pike, J. O’Brien)
1912: Wolawa (Bobbie Lewis, James Scobie)
1911: Wilari (George Lambert, W. Risby)
1910: Beverage (Jim Pike, W. Kelso Snr)

Victoria Derby winners in the 1900s

1909: Prince Foote (Dan McCarthy, F. McGrath)
1908: Alawa (Bobbie Lewis, James Scobie)
1907: Mountain King (Bill Hickey, J. Burton)
1906: Poseidon (Tom Clayton, I. Earnshaw)
1905: Lady Wallace (Bill Hickey, J. Burton)
1904: Sylvanite (Bobbie Lewis, James Scobie)
1903: F.J.A. (Arthur Richardson, James Scobie)
1902: Abundance (James Barden, F. McGrath)
1901: Hautvilliers (Bobbie Lewis, James Scobie)
1900: Maltster (Bobbie Lewis, James Scobie)

Victoria Derby winners in the 1890s

1899: Merriwee (Vivian Turner, James Wilson Jnr)
1898: Cocos (William Delaney, T. Payten)
1897: Amberite (Mat Harris, W. Duggan)
1896: Newhaven (Hen Gardiner, W. Hickenbotham)
1895: Wallace (James Gough, H. Munro)
1894: The Harvester (Chris Moore, S. Cook)
1893: Carnage (James Gough, H. Munro)
1892: Camoola (Ernie Huxley, T. Payten)
1891: Strathmore (Henry Cusdin, H. Munro)
1890: The Admiral (Tom Hales, S. Cook)

Victoria Derby winners in the 1880s

1889: Dreadnought (Tom Hales, T. Payten)
1888: Ensign (Tom Hales, T. Payten)
1887: The Australian Peer (Edward Gorry, H. Rayner)
1886: Trident (Tom Hales, M. Fennelly)
1885: Nordenfeldt (Bob Ellis, M. Fennelly)
1884: Rufus (Mick O’Brien, J. Redfearn)
1883: Martini-Henry (Henry Williamson, M. Fennelly)
1882: Navigator (Tom Hales, Etienne de Mestre)
1881: Darebin (Ted Power, F. Dakin)
1880: Grand Flaneur (Tom Hales, T. Brown)

Victoria Derby winners in the 1870s

1879: Suwarrow (Richard Walker, R. Howie)
1878: Wellington (Morris Griffin, M. Griffin)
1877: Chester (Pat Piggott, Etienne de Mestre)
1876: Briseis (Tom Hales, James Wilson Snr)
1875: Robin Hood (George Donnelly, Etienne de Mestre)
1874: Melbourne (Jim Ashworth, J. Tait)
1873: Lapidist (Harry Grubb, William Filgate)
1872: Loup Garou (Tom Brown, W. Winch)
1871: Miss Jessie (James Wilson Jnr, James Wilson Snr)
1870: Florence (Charles Stanley, J. Tait)

Victoria Derby winners in the 1860s

1869: Charon (Joe Morrison, James Wilson Snr)
1869 (run on 1 January): My Dream (T. Duffy, William Filgate)
1868 (run on 1 January): Fireworks (Charles Stanley, J. Tait)
1867: Fireworks (Charles Stanley, J. Tait)
1866: Sea Gull (Joe Morrison, William Filgate)
1865: Angler (Ted Redman, William Filgate)
1864: Lantern (William Simpson, William Filgate)
1863: Oriflamme (William Lang, W. Lang)
1862: Barwon (Sam Waldock, S. Waldock)
1861: Camden (Joe Morrison, P. Dowling)
1860: Flying Colours (Billy Treacey, W. Treacey)

Victoria Derby winners in the 1850s

1859: Buzzard (J. Henderson, J. Orr)
1858: Brownlock (Thomas Hutton, A. Green)
1857: Tricolor (Dick Snell, A. Green)
1856: Flying Doe (Joe Carter, A. Green)
1855: Rose Of May (Sam Holmes, Hector Simson)

Victoria Derby records: horses

Dual winner: Fireworks is the only horse to win the Derby twice, in November 1867 and on 1 January 1868, after the race was moved to New Year’s Day for two years.
Fillies: the first three Derbies went to fillies, Rose Of May (1855), Flying Doe (1856) and Tricolor (1857). The last filly to win was Frances Tressady in 1923.
Short-priced favourite: Tulloch won as a 1/10 favourite in 1957.
Longshot: Rebel Raider won at $101 in 2008.
First-starter: Martini-Henry won the 1883 Derby at his first start, then won the Melbourne Cup three days later.
Race record: Star Of The Realm ran 2:33.60 in 1991. The Derby was run over 12 furlongs until 1971, became 2400m in 1972 with metric conversion, and has been 2500m since 1973.

Victoria Derby records: jockeys

Eight wins: Bobbie Lewis (1900, 1901, 1904, 1908, 1912, 1914, 1921 and 1927).
Seven wins: Tom Hales (1876, 1880, 1882, 1886, 1888, 1889 and 1890).
Six wins: Jim Pike (1910, 1913, 1928, 1929, 1930 and 1931), including Phar Lap, and Damien Oliver (1992, 2001, 2003, 2012, 2014 and 2019), the most of the modern era.
Five wins: Darby Munro (1933, 1938, 1939, 1947 and 1951) and Neville Sellwood (1949, 1953, 1955, 1959 and 1960).
Clare Lindop became the first female jockey to win the Derby on Rebel Raider in 2008. Jamie Kah, now Jamie Melham, became the second on Goldrush Guru in 2024.

Victoria Derby records: trainers

Eight wins: James Scobie (1900, 1901, 1903, 1904, 1908, 1912, 1927 and 1937).
Five wins: William Filgate (1864, 1865, 1866, 1 January 1869 and 1873), Tommy Smith (1957, 1959, 1970, 1981 and 1984) and Bart Cummings (1972, 1973, 1977, 1983 and 1987).
Four wins: Colin Hayes (1974, 1976, 1978 and 1988).
Three wins among current trainers: Chris Waller (Preferment 2014, Manzoice 2022 and Riff Rocket 2023). Ciaron Maher has two, Hitotsu in 2021 (with David Eustace) and Observer in 2025.
Gai Waterhouse became the first woman to train a Derby winner with Nothin’ Leica Dane in 1995.

The Victoria Derby and Melbourne Cup double

Thirteen horses have won the Derby and the Melbourne Cup in the same spring, a feat that has not been done since Skipton in 1941. The list, per the VRC, is Lantern (1864), Briseis (1876), Chester (1877), Grand Flaneur (1880), Martini-Henry (1883), Newhaven (1896), Merriwee (1899), Poseidon (1906), Prince Foote (1909), Patrobas (1915), Trivalve (1927), Hall Mark (1933) and Skipton (1941). Lantern is the odd one out, winning the Cup first and the Derby the next day.

Briseis completed a remarkable week in 1876 by adding the VRC Oaks as well, while Nothin’ Leica Dane came closest in the modern era, running second in the 1995 Melbourne Cup after winning the Derby. Spearfelt, Phar Lap, Comic Court, Delta and Efficient all won the Derby and went on to win a Melbourne Cup in a later year.

Famous Victoria Derby winners

Phar Lap won the 1929 Derby only weeks after taking the AJC Derby in Sydney, and won the Melbourne Cup a year later. Poseidon won the VRC and AJC Derbies and both St Legers, and in 1906 became the first horse to win the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup in the same year. Tulloch, Sailor’s Guide, Tobin Bronze, Dulcify, Red Anchor, Stylish Century and Mahogany are other winners who went on to become stars, and Hitotsu in 2021 joined the small group who can also claim the Australian Derby and the VRC Australian Guineas. For a wider look at the greats of the turf, see our Cox Plate winners honour roll.

Who joins the Victoria Derby winners list in 2026?

The 2026 winner will join the honour roll as the 173rd Victoria Derby champion. Jamie Melham, who won the race as Jamie Kah in 2024, will miss Derby Day through suspension after her appeal was dismissed. For form on every runner once the field is finalised, open TSB’s free Racing Form Guide.

Gamble responsibly. For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.

More News