2020 New Zealand Derby

The 2020 New Zealand Derby was a Group I horse race which took place at Ellerslie Racecourse on Saturday 29 February 2020. It was the 145th running of the New Zealand Derby, and it was won by Sherwood Forest. [1]

Sherwood Forest was bred by the Goodson & Perron Family Trust and was sold for A$100,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He is owned by the Goodson & Perron Family Trust, Calder Bloodstock Ltd and Deborah Martin. Sherwood Forest is trained by Tony Pike in Cambridge, New Zealand.

Sherwood Forest had made an impact in the spring, winning two races including the War Decree Stakes at Group Three level in October, and he also finished third in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas in November. But trainer Tony Pike believed he would come into his own over longer distances later in the season.

The 2020 Derby had been billed as a two-horse battle of the sexes.[2] The filly Two Illicit had scored a seven-length win in the Waikato Guineas, while the well-bred gelding Dragon Leap easily won the Avondale Guineas. They disputed favouritism throughout the two weeks leading into the Derby, and no other runner was in single-figure odds.[3]

Coming around the home turn, that two-horse showdown appeared to be happening as Dragon Leap and Two Illicit surged to the lead together. But Sherwood Forest stayed with them and began to poke through in between them. Ridden by Melbourne-based jockey Michael Walker, his stamina shone through as he pulled clear in the last 200 metres to win by a length and a quarter. Two Illicit held on for second, with the fast-finishing Scorpz snatching third from a tiring Dragon Leap.

The time for the Derby was 2:26.77, which was the fastest since 1998 and the third-fastest since 1972.[4]

It was a third Derby victory for Walker, who had previously won on Military Move in 2010 and on Puccini in 2014.

It was Pike's second Derby, having won the race in 2016 with Rangipo.