This Saturday the ultimate racing action of the 2010 Melbourne Cup Carnival will kick off at Flemington with Victoria Derby Day and the marquee race at the meeting, the 2010 Victoria Derby, has drawn a capacity field.
The $1.5 million Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) final field features 16 three-year-olds plus four emergencies with Jim Conlan’s Rekindled Interest and the Peter Snowden-trained Retrieve the top two acceptors set to start as the favourites.
Redoute’s Choice gelding Rekindled Interest burst into Victoria Derby contention with a brilliant win in the Group 2 AAMI Vase (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day last Saturday.
The AAMI Vase is considered the premier indicator for the Victoria Derby and on Saturday Rekindled Interest will attempt to the likes of Efficient (2006), Plastered (2004) and Helenus (2002) by winning the AAMI Vase / Victoria Derby double.
Meanwhile Retrieve has also emerged as a top Victoria Derby contender coming off some brilliant spring form including a win in the Gloaming Stakes (1800m), second place finish in the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) and a last-start victory in the Norman Robinson Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield.
The last horse to win the Norman Robinson / Victoria Derby double was Amalfi in 2001 and jockey Kerrin McEvoy, recently returning to racing following injury, will be aboard Retrieve as he attempts the double on Saturday.
AAMI Vase runner-up Lion Tamer, a smart Kiwi colt trained by Murray and Bjorn Baker, is another exciting acceptor for the 2010 Victoria Derby.
Other notable horses in the Victoria Derby field for Saturday include:
- The Lee Freedman-trained Smokin’ Joey who will run with the addition of a tongue tie after choking in the AAMI Vase
- David Payne’s consistent colt Praecido well positioned to finish in the money having placed third in their past two Group starts
- Duelled gelding Shootoff vying for their second career win
- Norman Robinson Stakes’ runner-up Almindoro and third placegetter Digital Fortress
The 2010 Victoria Derby barrier draw will take place at midday today and published moments later here at Races.com.au.
In the meantime, get ready to lock in your favourite three-year-olds in a Victoria Derby Trifecta at a brilliant price by g up with Luxbet now!
2010 AAMI Victoria Derby Final Field
| # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Weight (kg) | Handicapper Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RETRIEVE | Peter Snowden | Kerrin McEvoy | 55.5 | 96 |
| 2 | REKINDLED INTEREST | Jim Conlan | Dwayne Dunn | 55.5 | 96 |
| 3 | LION TAMER (NZ) | Murray & Bjorn Baker | Hugh Bowman | 55.5 | 88 |
| 4 | SMOKIN’ JOEY | Lee Freedman | Damien Oliver | 55.5 | 76 |
| 5 | PRAECIDO (NZ) | David Payne | Craig Williams | 55.5 | 82 |
| 6 | YULALONA | Peter Snowden | Mark Zahra | 55.5 | 82 |
| 7 | KUDAKULARI (NZ) | Bart Cummings | Steven Arnold | 55.5 | 82 |
| 8 | LUCKYI’MBAREFOOT | Tracey Templeton | Dean Holland | 55.5 | 68 |
| 9 | DIGITAL FORTRESS (NZ) | Guy Walter | Blake Shinn | 55.5 | 72 |
| 10 | SHOOTOFF (NZ) | Graeme Rogerson | Corey Brown | 55.5 | 74 |
| 11 | ALMINDORO | Steve Richards | Steven King | 55.5 | 72 |
| 12 | COSMONAUT | Bart Cummings | Michael Rodd | 55.5 | 65 |
| 13 | KIRINATA | Paul Perry | Nash Rawiller | 55.5 | 66 |
| 14 | PERFECT PECS | Rick Hore-Lacy | Craig Newitt | 55.5 | 68 |
| 15 | TALE OF THUNDER | John P Thompson | Jim Cassidy | 55.5 | 65 |
| 16 | ULUNDI | Pat Carey | Ben Melham | 55.5 | 64 |
| 17e | ABSOLUTELYAWESOME (NZ) | Michael Moroney | Luke Nolen | 55.5 | 66 |
| 18e | SHADOWOFEXCELLENCE | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | – | 55.5 | 67 |
| 19e | ACCLAIMED CHAOS | Peter Healey | Dean Yendall | 55.5 | 61 |
| 20e | KERCHINGS | Anthony Cummings | Michael Walker | 55.5 | 61 |
