Major Beel did just that in 2023. A good hope of a repeat in the 2024 Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on Saturday.

2024 AUSTRALIAN DERBY - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

The ATC Australian Derby is a Group 1 classic race for three year olds conducted by the Australian Turf Club at Randwick. It is Australia's best Derby.

The ATC Australian Derby was first run in 1861 won by Kyogle.

The ATC Australian Derby is run over the classic distance 2400m under Set Weight conditions.

Nine fillies have won the ATC Australian Derby but only four in the last 70 years. Recent winners include Shamrocker (2011), Research (1989), Tristarc (1985) and Rose Of Kingston (1982).

TJ Smith holds the record with a brilliant nine victories with Bart Cummings second with five and Murray Baker joined him in 2020.

Older jockeys have won the most with Tom Hales (6), George Moore (5) and Darby Munro (5) heading the list.

In 1961, Blue Era (Mel Schumacher) won the race but lost it when stewards saw the footage of Tommy Hill's leg being pulled aboard Summer Fair.

Dulcify won the 1979 Derby on protest in the first one run in the Autumn.

The last 3yo to run in the Tancred Stakes as its final lead up to the Derby was Gold Guru in 1998. That was also the last time one came through an open age race.

New Zealand stayers have shown their pedigree in the Derby. 6 of the last 16 have come from across the Tasman. Murray Baker has five of those.

Victoria Derby-ATC Derby double (in Autumn) - Dulcify (1978-79), Mahogany (1993-94) and Hitotsu (2021-22). It was much more prevalent when both were run in the Spring.

Spring Champion-ATC Derby double - Kingston Town (1979-1980), Beau Zam (1987-88), Fairway (1999-2000), Universal Prince (2000-01), Dundeel (2012-13).

The Rosehill Guineas is the obvious lead up with 13 of the last 29 coming through that 3yo G1 but not always winning it which is surprising.

Rosehill Guineas-ATC Derby double – it has happened 20 times but in the last 29 years, only six times (Innocent King (1993), Octagonal (1996), Sky Heights (1999), Eremein (2005), Dundeel (2013), Criterion (2014)).

Four recent Derby winners all won the Tulloch Stakes and backed up to win. It was the runner up from the Tulloch who scored in 2023.

The Tasmanian Derby winner Explosive Jack caused a bit of a surprise in winning in 2021. He'd then prove it wasn't by also winning the South Australian Derby to make it three Derbies.

Hitotsu scored an amazing victory by taking his second Derby in just eight starts. Incredibly both those wins were off mile outings in Guineas.

Autumn Triple Crown (Rand/Cant Guineas, Rosehill Guineas, ATC Derby) - Moorland (1943), Martello Towers (1959), Imagele (1973), Octagonal (1996), Dundeel (2013).

ATC Derby-ATC Oaks double - Research (1989).

The inside barrier won three editions in a row recently (Tavago, Mongolian Khan, Criterion).

Favourites haven't had a great record of recent times despite being a set weights event. On only 7 occasions in the last 31 years have they won.

Gai Waterhouse had been training for around 30 years but she finally got a home Derby win, now with Adrian Bott, as Major Beel staved them off in 2023.

The 2024 ATC Australian Derby was worth $2,000,000.

Notable winners include The Barb (1866), Grand Flaneur (1880), Poseidon (1906), Gloaming (1918), Heroic (1924), Manfred (1925), Phar Lap (1929), Peter Pan (1932), Hall Mark (1933), Tulloch (1957), Imagele (1973), Dulcify (1979), Kingston Town (1980), Strawberry Road (1983), Bonecrusher (1986), Beau Zam (1988), Mahogany (1994), Octagonal (1996), Dundeel (2013) and Hitotsu (2022).

The 2023 ATC Australian Derby was won by Major Beel from Virtuous Circle and Suizuro.