Victoria Derby – what you need to know
VICTORIA DERBY
$1.5 million for three-year-olds (2500m)
HISTORY
* First run in 1855 when won by Rose Of May, the Victoria Derby pre-dates the Melbourne Cup by six years and is one of the oldest races in the world
NOTABLE WINNERS
* Manfred (1925), Phar Lap (1929), Skipton (1941), Comic Court (1948), Delta (1949), Tulloch (1957), Sky High (1960), Tobin Bronze (1965), Dulcify (1978), Mahogany (1993) and Efficient (2006)
TALKING POINTS
* James Scobie holds training record with eight winners
* The late Bart Cummings and the late TJ Smith share modern-day training honours with five winners each
* Gai Waterhouse, daughter of TJ Smith, became the first woman to train a Victoria Derby winner when Nothin’ Leica Dane, part-owned by her father, won in 1995
* Legendary jockey Bobby Lewis holds record for most number of Victoria Derby wins with eight
* Tulloch the shortest-priced favourite at 1-10 when he won in 1957
* Martini-Henri won the 1883 Victoria Derby at his first start and Melbourne Cup at his second
THE DISTANCE:
The 2500m is a query for every runner as the Victoria Derby offers the first chance for three-year-olds to be tested at the distance.
* MAIDENS:
Fire Oak (1990) became first maiden since Martini-Henri to win. Two years later Redding repeated the feat.
In 2014 Preferment also broke his maiden in the Derby and this year Hollywood Mo will be trying to do the same
WHAT THE MAIN PLAYERS ARE SAYING:
“He’s only 15.2 hands and 490 kilos but importantly he’s got an engine, So Si Bon’s trainer Robbie Laing.
“He’s a big trainable horse and I’ve upped his workload going into this and he really seemed to respond at home. His breeding probably doesn’t suggest it but just the way he has trained on, I’m confident he can get the 2500 metres,” – Beach Life’s trainer Ciaron Maher.
“I think he’s in good enough form, having run a narrow third to Yankee Rose in the Spring Champion Stakes two starts ago. Good runs in that race usually equate to good runs in the Derby” – Prized Icon’s trainer James Cummings.
“This is the race we’ve been planning for,” Sacred Elixir’s part-owner Kyan Yap from Raffles Racing.