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. 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.
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.
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 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.
| Placing | Margin | Horse | Jockey | Trainer(s) | Odds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silent Achiever | James McDonald | Roger James | $2.10 | ||
| 2 | 2½ | Rock 'n' Pop | Matthew Cameron | Jason Bridgman | $9.40 | |
| 3 | Head | Carrick | Leith Innes | Tony Pike & Mark Donoghue | $13.90 | |
| 4 | 2½ | Chicharita | Lisa Cropp | Michael Moroney & Andrew Clarken | $8.90 | |
| 5 | 1 | Zurella | Jason Waddell | Shaune Ritchie | $14.10 | |
| 6 | Neck | Travolta | Mark Hills | John Kiernan | $39.80 | |
| 7 | 3 | Red Shift | Michael Coleman | Regan Donnison | $18.70 | |
| 8 | Neck | Roamin | Trudy Thornton | Robert Priscott & Clayton Chipperfield | $103.80 | |
| 9 | 1½ | Shuka | Hayden Tinsley | Peter & Dawn Williams | $9.20 | |
| 10 | 1 | Angelology | Kelly Myers | Kevin Myers | $14.60 | |
| 11 | ½ | Jeroboam | Chad Ormsby | Graham Richardson | $73.50 | |
| 12 | 2 | Colorado Sun | Patrick Holmes | Shane Crawford | $112.70 | |
| 13 | 1½ | Barney | Craig Grylls | Anne Herbert | $80.50 | |
| 14 | 1 | Guess What | Noel Harris | Paul Shailer | $72.80 | |
| 15 | ½ | Nine Pin | Danielle Johnson | Leo Molloy | $80.10 | |
| 16 | 13 | Mr Chez | Sam Spratt | Graeme & Debbie Rogerson | $37.10 |
Further details of the winner, Silent Achiever:
Early-season appearances in 2011-12 prior to running in the Derby.
Subsequent wins at Group 1 level by runners in the 2012 New Zealand Derby.