It’s been 15 years since Dariana thumped the colts to win the Queensland Derby (2400m) in 2010 and maybe it’s time for another filly to triumph!
The Queensland Derby was Inaugurated in 1868 and was run at the Gayndah racecourse 366 km north of Brisbane on the Burnett river, still proudly operating as the state’s oldest race track.
The race and its first prize of 50 sovereigns were won by The Hermit and this year a full field of 18 will run for $1million.
The Derby moved to Eagle Farm in 1871 and aside from the odd interruption or distance change due to war, a pandemic, or track reconstruction it has been run at that venue over 2400m ever since.
The Derby traditionally ran on Stradbroke day before carnival programming changes in 2019 moved the Classic to its present date on the racing calendar.
Turf legends Tulloch and Kingston Town won the QLD Derby along with such great horses as Strawberry Road, Rough Habit, Tails and Lough Neagh to name just a few.
Not “greats” but forever loved and remembered by racing fans are Derby winners like Yippyio, Double Century, Freemason and County Tyrone.
Twenty one fillies have won the Queensland Derby since its inception, the most recent being Dariana in 2010. After the daughter of Redoute's Choice ruled herself out of the Oaks by standing in the gates she came out and destroyed the Derby field by a big margin.
Two years before that in 2008 the Peter Moody trained Riva San did the QLD Oaks/Derby double, one of only four fillies to have achieved that feat.
2008 was a memorable year for the fairer sex as the same year top filly Zarita did the SA Oaks / Derby double and over in the west it was Grand Journey to complete the coveted sweep of the Classics.
This year the female ranks have strong representation with the recent G1 SA Derby winner Femminile (Dundeel) leading the charge in the Yulong colours after being purchased by them this week at the MM National Sale for $1.5million.
She is joined by a Kiwi bred filly of particular interest to pedigree nerds in Belle Detelle (Zed), a highly promising three quarter sister to none other than Verry Elleegant who won the G1 AJC Oaks at three, the second of her eleven wins at the highest level.
The Hawkes team have brought their super genuine G3 SA Fillies Classic runner up Chase Your Dreams (Contributor) and she is the subject of the only gear change for the Derby runners having the winkers removed for the first time.
SA Derby placegetters the striking grey Statuario (D'Argento) and Darley blueblood Lavalier (Microphone) are here seeking redemption and with strong claims, as both had less than ideal runs that day.
They're joined by Cliff Brown's Savabeel son Scintillante, 4th in the SA Derby and strong through the line.
Coming to the great race via the traditional Queensland Derby lead up the Rough Habit Plate over 2000m at Doomben is the Chris Waller trained Imperialist (Churchill) - another example of the Galileo/Fastnet Rock nick which has been so incredibly successful.
The gelding comes from a really top class European family and was a stakes winner at only his third startas a two year old - and it was at this track.
Having led all the way to win at Doomben on heavy ground, the weather forecast will be pleasing Imperialist's connections no end as that will be the key to his chances.
Runner up in the Rough Habit Deep Focus (Deep Field) and third placed King Of Thunder ( Tivaci) take their places.
Firm Agreement (Yes Yes Yes) had the unenviable task of leading the field home five lengths behind the rampaging filly Aeliana in the G1 Australian Derby, then was unplaced in the Rough Habit off a freshen, but wet is his preferred surface also
Danny O'Brien's tough galloper Politely Dun (Dundeel) comes off a good win at Flemington on slow over 2000m, having been runner up to Statuario at the Derby distance before that, bypassing the SA classic to target this race.
That could prove to be significant.
Just as his immortal sire Zabeel did, Dundeel now begins to make his Classic presence felt through his own sons - and one of the best of them Super Seth has two representatives here, in lightly raced progressive types Maison Louis and Rogan.
Let's just pause and celebrate Zabeel for a moment. Despite the (much needed) plethora of top class international staying blood which has become available to local breeders in the last decade or so, none of it can top the great Cambridge sire's influence in the three year old Classics in particular.
Through his sons, grandsons and daughters Zabeel dominates this race - and let's not forget only a couple of weeks ago he notched up another G1 win as a broodmare sire when superstar sprinter Sunshine In Paris won the Doomben 10,000.
How blessed we were to have him for so long.
Rounding out the 2025 Derby field are well performed locals Beau Dazzler (Ardrossan) and Our Benefactor (Contributor), first emergency Eclair Encore (Maurice) who gains a run after the scratching of Saint Emilion - and two in-form sons of Ocean Park - the South Aussie Party Crasher and the Waller stable's Existential Bob.
At the time of writing (Thursday) the track is in the soft 5 range but with showers forecast late Friday and all day Saturday I'm assuming the Derby, which is late in the program will be run on a genuinely soft, even heavy surface - so it should be a true test of stamina.
The punter's eternal dilemma comes to the fore. Aside from who will handle the conditions best, horses which are in form and proven at the distance (or further) seem advantaged.
On the other hand, this could well prove to be a run too far for those who've been up for a while - they are young horses and the gas in the tank isn't an infinite supply. That could favour a more progressive type with the breeding to relish the distance and fresher legs to see it out strongly.
Barriers? Who knows. Being drawn wide possibly avoids being stuck in traffic at the crucial moment behind tired horses, or without luck probably means slogging it out three wide.
So here goes!
Top tip: BELLE DETELLE
The old saying goes that lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice, but it can strike nearby. And so much of Thoroughbred breeding is about looking for patterns, trying to predict where the lightning bolt of greatness might come from.
Belle Detelle won't be as good as her older three quarter sister Verry Elleegant, sadly no longer with us after a supernova career turned to tragedy in the breeding barn. But she doesn't have to be, she could be one quarter as good and still be winning this on her ear.
I find it really interesting that Belle Detelle's connections have remarked on how similar she is to the great mare in looks, temperament and even mannerisms. That's some indication that lightning may have been in the general vicinity when this filly was conceived.
The story of her remarkable sire Zed is well told, the modestly performed but beautifully bred son of Zabeel rescued from a life serving draught mares to stand at Grangewilliam Stud where he thankfully received the opportunity to pass on his genetic legacy which he deserved, and he made the most of it before he passed away last year.
The lightly raced Belle Detelle was naturally placed with Chris Waller and is out of Black Lace, by the excellent last Tycoon son Towkay - a full brother to the champion mare Tracy's Element and thus a close relative of Danasinga, Cullen, Red Element, Shaft, Alligator Blood, Suntagonal etc. and to Australian Horse Of The Year Typhoon Tracy and to WA Oaks winner / WA Derby runner up Fatal Attraction (bred on the Zabeel cross).
This is very much a family that produces great race fillies and mares so Towkay was always going to hold superior potential as a broodmare sire.
Belle Detelle of course carries the same pattern of line breeding to her own ancestress Cotahele House and to Danehill 3f x 4m, as did Verry Elleegant.
Towkay brings in amongst other valuable lines the blood of Ahonoora - tail male line of Klairon who sired the dam of Blue Hen Eight Carat, the cornerstone of this pedigree.
Belle Detelle is bred for the wet, has J-Mac aboard and the right stable. The only downside is the barrier, but the filly does like to go back and I can see her coming with a huge finish if she has anything like the stamina of her famous relative.
There is a sense of timing about her and Chris Waller knows the breed so very well.
Next best: STATUARIO
SA Derby runners up have got a better record in the QLD version than winners. Much as I am loathe to leave out the very fine Femminile who looks to be a Cups horse in the making, Statuario was really unlucky in that race and I think the drop back in distance suits the dashing grey more than the filly.
Statuario has never started on a heavy track but both his sire D'Argento and damsire Dash For Cash enjoyed a wet track while his third damsire Lord Ballina was a noted sire of absolute mudlarks. He probably actually would prefer a soft 7 / heavy 8 rather than an inbetweenish 5 or 6.
No doubts about the trip or race fitness with this guy, who is the current race favourite.
Jockey Johnny Allen - one of the best in the business in a staying race - will be burning to atone for the Morphettville defeat. From a good barrier he should be able to position Statuario to best advantage.
The appealing son of So You Think's classy G1 Rosehill Guineas hero D'Argento is his sires first stakes winner.
Out of the good producing Redoute's Choice daughter Fullazz, the stallion is from a family generally known for precocious sprinter milers.
But the So You Think / Redoute's Choice cross produced VRC Derby runner up Inference and Australian Derby winner Quick Thinker was foaled by a daughter of Redoute's close relative Al Maher.
Out of the winning Dash for Cash mare Miss Entice, Statuario is a first foal - and was an absolute bargain buy - knocked down for $18,000 from the Bowness Stud draft at the 2023 Inglis Gold Sale to Toward Reward Thoroughbreds / Bluegrass Bloodstock and his astute trainers, Emma-Lee and David Browne.
Miss Entice is a full sister to tough stayer Boom ‘N’ Zoom (Cranbourne Cup) and they are daughters of Entice, by Last Tycoon, while his third dam Florinda is by Lord Ballina and was placed in the G3 NZ St Leger.
It's a particularly tough staying branch of the huge NZ family which descends from the great matriarch Eulogy. Statuario numbers among his close relations Leggings, Cat's Fun, Ebony Honour and Vegas Knight.
D'Argento brings the class with a capital C and the turn of foot that was needed to really invigorate this female line and create an exciting young stayer.
Statuario has to be a great chance on any ground but if the Derby turns into a real slogfest the grey has the breeding to come up trumps.
Roughie: DEEP FOCUS
Deep Field isn't the first sire who springs to mind when the conversation turns to Derby hopefuls, but he has already proven he can sire an absolutely top class stayer with his Hong Kong hero Voyage Bubble a G1 winner up to and including 2400m.
Following a theme here because the dam of Deep Focus, Flawless, is by Zabeel and is a full sister to Zed and to the tough stayer Zabene twice placed in a 3200m NZ Cup.
This time the linebreeding is to Theme Song ancestress of both Deep Field and Flawless, through her daughter Announce by Sir Tristram's G1 winner and noted broodmare sire Military Plume, while through Deep Field's dam Listen Here comes a crucial line to US speedsire Elusive Quality.
So here we have a fantastic balance of speed and stamina on both sides.
The trainer of Deep Focus is Paul Shailer, no household name - yet. The horseman has recently struck out on his own after a decade under Chris Waller - so I'm guessing he knows what he's about and has this lightly raced stayer primed for a peak performance.
The more rain the better for Deep Focus who was well prepped to win his first start on the Gold Coast back in February and since then has only once been out of the placings, having his final Derby tune up in the Rough Habit running on stoutly for second.
Ready for this trip, suited by the bigger track, the three year old entire has the experienced hands of Michael Rodd to guide him from a wide gate and keep him out of trouble.
Blowout: MAISON LOUIS
Well this fellow certainly has a pedigree that has three year old Classic written all over it.
Maison Louis is bred 4f x 3f to mighty Zabeel and he is a product of Pencarrow Stud's superb breeding program.
His royal female line is that of Richebourg by Vice Regal through her daughter Our Echezeaux by Zabeel. The immediate family of Cups heroine Ethereal and her champion dam Romanee Conti, top sires Darci Brahma and Burgundy, G1 stayers Stony Bay, Zamoff etc.
The famous NZ “Bride” family through the damline of Easter Rock.
Crucial in this pedigree is Maison Louis’ damsire Makfi by Dubawi, bringing Classic affinity and speed: notably his champion dual Oaks winning daughter Bonneval was bred on the same Zabeel cross as the dam of Maison Louis - that being the stakes winning Cote D'Or, successful up to 2200m.
Dundeel's Super Seth was one of the most impressive G1 Caulfield Guineas winners of recent times, showing a blistering turn of speed to defeat a champion in Alligator Blood.
It's no surprise he has made a spectacular start to his stud career and already has two Guineas winners to his own name - it's only a matter of time before he adds a Derby winner to the list!
Apart from the linebreeding to Zabeel and 5m x 5m Danzig via Danehill and Green Desert, there is so much going on in the pedigree of Maison Louis that speaks of Classic potential.
Maison Louis comes to the Derby at his seventh career start. Trained by the masterful team of John O'Shea and Tom Charlton the gelding had a really solid grounding before commencing his career and has steadily progressed as the distances have increased. His Rough Habit run was good but not exceptional, however I believe it's because he is wanting the 2400m now rather than an aversion to the heavy track - hope I'm right!
He's got the breeding to handle wet on both sides of the pedigree. Maison Louis jumps from barrier 4 and Ben Melham takes the ride while wife Jamie hops back aboard Cummings contender Lavalier.
