It is held on the first Saturday in March, as the opening day of Auckland Cup Week.

The first March running of the Derby in 2006 was won by Wahid, from the stable of Allan Sharrock in New Plymouth.

He scored his fifth Derby win aboard Habibi in 2013, breaking Robert Vance's previous record of four, and added a sixth victory with Rangipo in 2016.

[3] Only a small number of fillies have ever won the Derby against the male horses.

This list includes: On two of those occasions, fillies have also finished second – Cure in 1986 and Fix in 2013.