| Group I race | |
| Location | Riccarton Park Racecourse Christchurch, New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1860 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Website | Riccarton Park |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 12 furlongs |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-olds |
| Weight | Set-Weights |
The New Zealand Derby was a set-weights thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of 2400m at Riccarton Racecourse in Christchurch, New Zealand. The inaugural running of the Derby was in 1860, when racing was held at Riccarton Racecourse.
The race was one of the two main races for three-year-olds in New Zealand, the other being the Great Northern Derby at Ellerslie. The two races were effectively combined into one from 1973, again using the name the New Zealand Derby. However the race was moved from Christchurch to Auckland at Ellerslie Racecourse.[1] The Great Northern Derby was discontinued.
Two new 1600m races for three-year-olds were then started in Christchurch, in place of its Derby, the One Thousand and Two Thousand Guineas.
The New Zealand Derby at Riccarton was won by three of the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame horses Gloaming, Nightmarch and Desert Gold.