A STORY FROM THE VAULT
THE DERBY REALLY BEGAN WITH FIREWORKS
The history of the Victoria Derby at Flemington stretches back ]IEVWXS[LIRXLIǻPP]7SWISJ2E][SRXLI:MGXSVME8YVJ(PYF )IVF]SR;IHRIWHE] 3SZIQFIV 8LIVEGI[EWREQIH in homage to England’s 1½ mile classic race for 3 year-olds, the Epsom Derby. In gold-rush colonial Melbourne, two rival clubs raced at +PIQMRKXSRƳǻVWXXLI8YVJ(PYFERHXLIRJVSQ XLI:MGXSVME Jockey Club. For the next three years each club conducted its own )IVF]8[SLSVWIW[SRX[MGI 'VS[RPSGO ERH'Y^^EVH .R XLI8YVJ(PYFXYVRIHMXWVEGIMRXSELERHMGETPIEZMRKXLI Jockey Club to run its Derby alone. The original principle of the Derby was that owners paid to enter GSPXWERHǻPPMIWEWJSEPW[MXLXLIIZIRXYEP[MRRIVXSXEOIEPP LIRGI ƸW[IITWXEOIWƹTPYWEHHIHTVM^IQSRI]JVSQXLI(PYF ;LIRXLI:MGXSVME7EGMRK(PYF[EWJSVQIHWYGGIIHMRKXLIX[S rivals, it continued with the Victoria Derby, but revamped the JSVQEXJSVJYXYVIIHMXMSRWWPEWLMRKIRXV]JIIWERHIRLERGMRKTVM^I QSRI].XTVSYHP]JSVIWLEHS[IHƸ8LI+MVWX,VIEX:MGXSVMER)IVF]ƹ WGLIHYPMRKXLIVMGLVEGIJSV3I[=IEVƶW)E] 'YXXLI WTVMRK)IVF]EPVIEH]LEHMXWIRXVMIWWSMXEPWSWXE]IH on the calendar. This led to a strange anomaly. And it is where Fireworks comes in. He won the Victoria Derby twice. Let’s say it – he was a cracker of a VEGILSVWISRISJEHS^IRYRHMWTYXIHGLEQTMSRWSJXLIIVEVEGIH F]3I[SYXL;EPIWS[RIVXVEMRIV/SLR8EMX +MVI[SVOWLEHEPVIEH][SRXLI &/()IVF]MR]HRI]FIJSVI travelling to Melbourne. Horses were tough then. Unplaced in Tim ;LMǾIVƶW2IPFSYVRI(YTSR8LYVWHE]LIGEQISYXSR+VMHE]XS [MRXLI :MGXSVME)IVF] The big excitement in town was the impending visit of Queen Victoria’s second son, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh. He VIEGLIH2IPFSYVRIXSSPEXIJSVXLI(YTWSXLI:7(WXEKIHE
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