Legendary stories of the VRC Derby: Part 1 - the early days

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Please note, usual classifications of major races are not referenced until the 1970s, when the Pattern system first emerged.

There is so much interesting trivia surrounding this time-honoured (yes I know that is a cliche but in this case it fits!) Classic contest first run in 1855, 75 years after the inaugural running of its famed Epsom counterpart.

It is rare for a filly to contest the race in the modern era but the first three editions were taken out by females - Rose Of May (Dolo {GB}), Flying Doe (The Premier {GB}) and Tricolor (The Premier) with the latter going on to produce the 1863 winner Oriflamme (Boiardo {GB}).

The 1882 and 1886 versions were won by Navigator and Trident who shared several wins in common, both also successful in the AJC Derby, the Australian Cup, the VRC St Leger and the AJC St Leger. And they were full brothers!

Their sire was Robinson Crusoe - a horse who had won the 1876 AJC Derby whilst racing simply as “the Chrysolite colt” after his dam and who was subsequently named in honour of a terrifying voyage in which he took part.

The SS City Of Melbourne's trip from Sydney to Melbourne in early September 1876 on which eleven horses were making their way south to contest spring features. Such as the Metropolitan H.-winning Melbourne Cup favourite Nemesis (Knight Of The Garter {GB}) and 1875 VRC Derby winner Robin Hood (Fireworks).

Pushing head-on into gale force conditions, the ship was struck with all but two of the horses killed either by drowning or being crushed - including Nemesis and Robin Hood.

In charge of the horses on the ship was the jockey Joe Morrison who had ridden Robinson Crusoe to his AJC Derby success and it was due to his dedication that the horse survived with a mixture of hands-on care and doses of gin and beer.

So ill that he had to be carried off once the ship came ashore, Robinson Crusoe made a remarkable recovery - going on to not only further big-race success, but also a good career at stud with nice impact on the VRC Derby - siring not only a couple of winners but also the dams of the winners Camoola (Chester) 1892, Cocos (Abercorn) 1898 and F J A (Wallace) 1903.

The ill-fated Robin Hood's sire Fireworks also won the VRC Derby... twice.

Yes you read that right - twice! The Derby was run its now traditional spring timeslot in 1867 before being reinvented for a short time on New Year's Day... and he won it again; backing up later in the afternoon to win another race.

Going on to add the AJC Derby to his resume, Fireworks enjoyed a successful career at stud - siring not only Robin Hood but the 1873 VRC Derby winner Lapidist.

More fillies to the fore

The 1871 and 1886 Derbys were won by the fillies Miss Jessie (Maribyrnong) and Briseis (Tim Whiffler {GB}) - both daughters of the 1862 VRC Sires' Produce S. winner Musidora (The Premier) who also produced the VRC St Leger-winning mare Sea Spray (The Peer {GB}), in turn dam of the VRC St Leger winner Caspian (King Of The Ring).

Briseis earned legendary status (she is a member of the Australian Racing Hall of Fame) with her six wins over the course of 1876. Not permitted to take on the older horses in Victoria, she headed to Sydney where she won - as a 2-year-old - the Doncaster H. with 35kg!

She won a Flying three days later and the All Aged S. the next day. Her Melbourne spring was just as demanding, Briseis lining up on all four days of the Flemington carnival - winning the VRC Derby by 3l in record time, the Melbourne Cup by 2l in record time and the VRC Oaks. Her strapper Peter St Albans was aboard for her Doncaster and Cup victories - as a reported 13-year-old (he was actually 11, the fabrication allowing him to ride) he was one of the few able to ride at such light weights.

Another couple of half-siblings won the Derby in the 1800s - Lantern (Muscovado {GB}) in 1861 and My Dream (Fisherman {GB}) in 1869. Both won other Flemington majors on different days to when they are now run - Lantern winning the Melbourne Cup the day before his 6l stroll home in the Derby whilst My Dream won the Oaks in the spring and the Derby on New Year's Day.

The year after Briseis' memorable victory, the VRC Derby, was won by Chester who would also win that year's Melbourne Cup amongst a host of feature races despite often racing sore. A great early influence on Australian racing, he was crowned Champion Sire on four occasions with his 26 stakes winners including the VRC Derby winners Camoola and Dreadnought.

Three years after Chester's success the Derby was won by another horse who would go onto become Champion Sire - the unbeaten Grand Flaneur who also won the Melbourne Cup and the Mares Produce S. that week. And he was the first Cup winner to sire a Cup winner... two actually!

A debut for the ages

Another interesting Derby story emerged three years on, Martini Henry (NZ) making his debut in the race. Which he won, pretty remarkable on its own - but a few days later at his second outing he also won the Melbourne Cup.

And at start number three, the Mares Produce S. - some first week of racing! He went onto stud success and has something in common with fellow Derby winner Grand Flaneur - both represented by feature race winners in the UK... Martini Henry's daughter Mons Meg winning the 1891 Ascot Gold Vase whilst Grand Flaneur's Williamstown Cup-winning son Merman was purchased by Lillie Langtry to campaign in England where he won a number of nice races including the Goodwood Cup, the Ascot Gold Cup and the Cesarewitch.

The most successful VRC Derby-winning sire of VRC Derby winners is the 1895 winner Wallace. One of the legendary Carbine's (NZ) finest sons, he also won the Caulfield Guineas and the Sydney Cup before a stud career than spanned 22 seasons.

Australian's Champion Sire of the 1915/16 season, he sired the winners of many a big race, including two Melbourne Cups - Kingsburgh and Patrobas with the latter being one of his six VRC Derby winners.

The first Derby of the 1900's was taken out by another horse who would make his mark at stud - Maltster who was Malua-like in his versatility, following his Derby win with a Melbourne Cup second, a 1200-metre win on Oaks Day and a 2400-metre win on final day.

Between 1909 and 1915 he was Australian Champion Sire on five occasions, from his Widden Stud-base siring scores of big race winners including two VRC Derby horses - Alawa and Beverage (successful despite being blind in his right eye!). He also sired the dams of two Derby winners - Wolaroi and Eusebius (Eudorus {GB}).

The only horse with the VRC Derby (1906), the AJC Derby, the AJC St Leger, the VRC St Leger, the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup, Poseidon was undoubtedly one of the greats and he had a particular fan in the shape of the Chinese market gardener Jimmy Ah Poon who formed a friendship with the horse as he fed him carrots from his garden.

Ah Poon became somewhat of a legend to the bookmakers on the time, letting an early bet on Poseidon ride through to his wins (he managed not to back him when he didn't salute!), making enough for him to retire a wealthy man to his homeland!

It was 1921 and 1923 which saw the Derby won by fillies - Furious (The Welkin {GB}) and Frances Tressady (Tressady {GB}) whose names live on with feature races named in their honour. Not since then has a female won the race.

Spearfelt - winner of the 1924 Derby - must've been a particularly tough customer. Born in Victoria, he was on a steamship heading to New South Wales when his dam died and he had to be bottle-fed. Later on he suffered from a bout of pneumonia, recovering to add the Melbourne Cup to his impressive list of wins; a crowd of 120,000 on course to cheer him on.

The Champion Sire of 1942/43, he sired the following season's Melbourne Cup winner Dark Felt and he was damsire of the 1946 VRC Derby winner Prince Standard (Mr Standfast {GB}).

Chautauqua, oh wait - no, Manfred won the race in 1925. Forgive the confusion, this was a horse who, like his modern counterpart, was not always in the mood for racing. In fact on six occasions during his 28-start career, he simply refused to take part.

“Only a stick of dynamite could have moved Manfred when he took it into his head to stay at the post,” said his jockey Frank Dempsey. But when in the mood he was a sight to behold and he actually won a race in which he initially showed no interest in - allowing his rivals in the 1925 AJC Derby to get half a furlong's start on him!

Racing fans thought they were seeing something pretty special in Manfred but a horse born four years later would leave everything in his wake - a horse every horse ever born in Australasia has been compared to since.

The great Big Red

We are talking about, of course, the legendary Phar Lap (NZ) (Night Raid {GB}).

He was having his 14th start on that day - November 2, 1929 and he was sent out at unbackable odds with The Age's “Tasman” reporting that "he seems as near to a racecourse certainty as it is possible to be.”

The same reporter in his post-race summary described Phar Lap's record breaking 2l victory with the words, “the sight was inspiring and he would be an unemotional being who was not thrilled.”

Phar Lap's success led to a major Derby rule change - from 1932 to 1956 geldings not permitted to take part.