
New Zealand horses, known for their ability over middle to long distances, often punch above their weight in Australasian Derby contests – NZ-bred horses have claimed 7/11 of the last Australian derbies, despite only making up 5.5% of Australia’s racehorse population
Australian Derby Day set a record for attendance at an Australian sporting event in 2006 with 129,089 oncourse
The Epsom Derby is considered to be the most prestigious flat horse race in Britain and has been run since 1780
So sought-after is the BMW Hong Kong Derby that the 2018 field was estimated to have cost a combined HK$90 million – and that’s just the horses that made it into the race!
Scenes from the BMW Hong Kong Derby
It could be said that the most recognisable horse race in the world is the Kentucky Derby. First run in 1875, it carries a purse of USD$2million. Whilst not richest race in the world, it is horse racing’s biggest annual gambling draw, setting a new record in 2017 with USD$139.2million bet in the US
The Kentucky Derby, held at the iconic Churchill Downs
Vin De Dance, winner of the 2018 edition of the New Zealand Derby, sponsored by Vodafone NZ