2012 New Zealand Derby

The 2012 New Zealand Derby was a horse race which took place at Ellerslie Racecourse on Saturday 3 March 2012. It was the 137th running of the New Zealand Derby, and it was won by Silent Achiever.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-02 |title=New Zealand Derby {{!}} Past Winners {{!}} Results {{!}} New Zealand |url=https://www.racingandsports.com.au/thoroughbred/feature-race/nz/new-zealand-derby/241 |access-date=2024-11-08 |website=www.racingandsports.com.au}} Silent Achiever was the first filly to win the race in 19 years, and just the fourth since 1966. Silent Achiever gave trainer Roger James his fifth victory in the race.{{Cite news |date=March 4, 2012 |title=Silent Achiever wins New Zealand Derby |url=https://www.thoroughbrednews.com.au/news/story/silent-achiever-wins-new-zealand-derby-58371?section=International |access-date=November 8, 2024 |work=Thoroughbred News}}

Silent Achiever was still a maiden at the time early nominations for the Derby were taken. She was not nominated for the race, and neither her connections nor the public gave her any consideration as a Derby contender. But that all changed with an incredible series of stakes victories against males over the 2011/12 summer - the Group 2 Championship Stakes on January 1, the Group 3 Waikato Guineas on January 28 and the Group 2 Avondale Guineas on February 18. In these races Silent Achiever emphatically beat most other serious Derby contenders and established herself as the outright favourite for the race.{{Cite web |title=Silent Achiever Lost |url=https://www.racingandsports.com.au/news/bloodstock/new-zealand/2021-02-05/silent-achiever-lost/538171 |access-date=2024-11-08 |website=www.racingandsports.com.au}}

Silent Achiever was a little slow to begin in the Derby, and she was a long way off the pace for much of the race. But jockey James McDonald{{Cite web |title=2012 NZ Derby - Silent Achiever & James McDonald |url=https://img.nzracing.co.nz/News/39302/2012NZDerby-SilentAchieverJamesMcDonald.aspx |access-date=2024-11-08 |website=img.nzracing.co.nz |language=en}} made a bold, sustained move around the outside of the field around the far turn, and Silent Achiever hit the lead soon after the field turned for home. She held her advantage strongly to the line, drawing away to beat 2000 Guineas winner Rock 'n' Pop by two and a half lengths.