Jo(h)n Snow, the former England Test cricketer.

Jon Snow, the veteran English television and public affairs journalist.

All are famous and well-known figures in their own right.

But at Randwick on Saturday another Jon Snow eclipsed his famous namesakes in spectacular style.

This Jon Snow is a horse, and thanks to his win in the $2 million BMW Australian Derby, the name of Jon Snow will from now on be at the very least a footnote in the history of Australian turf.

Derby winners, for good or ill, tend to be remembered, and if this stamina-packed colt makes the normal development expected from three to four, he could well make his mark over staying trips in some of Australia's best-known races.

The son of Iffraaj had to battle all the way down the straight to see off long-time leader Harper's Choice, with the Victorian-trained Hardham third, giving New Zealand-trained horses their fourth win of the past five years in this race.

For the winning trainer, veteran Murray Baker (who is now in partnership with Andrew Forsman), this was a fourth Randwick Derby in three years following the success of Mongolian Khan - who went on to win a Caulfield Cup six months later - in 2015, Nom De Jeu in 2008 and Its A Dundeel in 2014. The latter also went on to prove himself one of the best older horses of his generation, winning the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at the inaugural staging of The Championships.

Baker clearly doesn't mind sharing out the spoils as all four of his derby winners have been partnered by different riders - Jeff Lloyd, James McDonald and Opie Bosson respectively rode the first trio, while on Saturday it was the turn of an up-and-coming star of the riding ranks, Melbourne-based West Australian Damian Lane.

It was Lane's third group 1 winner of the season, the jockey having succeeded at the highest level on Humidor in the Australian Cup in March and Stratum Star in the Kingston Town Stakes back in his Perth hometown in December.

Only two horses went into this race with more experience under their belt than Jon Snow, who had had 11 previous starts, and that seasoning certainly paid dividends for a horse who was backing up having won only a week earlier in the Tulloch Stakes at Rosehill over 2000 metres.

Gerald Ryan's long shot Harper's Choice made a bold bid but in the end was second best to a superior stayer, as his rider, Jason Collett, later conceded.

Forsman paid tribute to his mentor for the way he had prepared the winner. "It's been a great ride with this horse for the owners. It's been quite a journey. He [Baker] knows how to get them fit and ready and I am just glad we pulled it off.

"He had won so well [in the Tulloch]. He just bounced through the run and his work on Thursday morning was brilliant. He pulled up well. Everything has gone so well since he came over here.

"Its a pleasure to be in partnership with a great trainer. As a four-year-old, [Jon Snow is] only going to get better."

Lane only picked up the ride on Jon Snow, whose $NZ$65,000 purchase price now looks pretty cheap, for his Australian debut at Rosehill.

"I was very lucky to get on him last week and happy to stick with him today," the jockey said. "Credit to the horse. When I switched him off, he settled beautifully and when I switched him back on at the 600m, he came up under me nicely."

Dom Zame, representing the owners group, said the win was "absolutely exhilarating".

"We were reasonably confident, he ate up very well and he was very relaxed," Zame said. "He's just a magic horse."