Gai Waterhouse’s Victoria Derby 2014 favourite Hampton Court has drawn just worse than midfield for the 160th running of the three-year-olds classic with barrier 11 for the Flemington feature on Saturday.
2014 Victoria Derby favourite Hampton Court has drawn barrier 11 for Saturday’s classic at Flemington. Photo: Steve Hart.
Australia’s oldest classic race, this year marks the 160th edition of the $1.5 million Victoria Derby (2500m) and the 23rd year the race has been sponsored by AAMI.
Clear pre-barrier draw favourite through Ladbrokes.com.au has been Waterhouse’s Redoute’s Choice colt Hampton Court who is now out to be the first Victoria Derby winner from barrier 11 since Benicio (2005).
Kerrin McEvoy has the ride on the young gun who comes off back-to-back wins at Randwick, most recently in an upset over First Seal and Sweynesse in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) when ridden by Josh Parr.
Hampton Court is looking to become the fourth winner of the Spring Champion Stakes – Victoria Derby double in history and Waterhouse is very confident of her chances.
“He’s the best Derby chance I’ve had since Nothin’ Leica Dane (1995),” she said at the live barrier draw.
“He’s a nice big, strong colt who seem sot have settled in very nicely.”
A number of other livewire hopes in the Victoria Derby betting markets came up with ideal draws including the Chris Waller-trained Preferment in gate six with Damien Oliver to ride and Kiwi galloper Atmosphere in barrier four for Brazilian jockey Joao Moreira.
Waller’s Zabeel colt is bred to go the Derby distance and showed he was coming on nicely when runner-up to Nozomi in the Listed Geelong Classic (2200m) on October 22.
While he remains a maiden after six career starts the argument could be made Preferment has been luckless on a number of occasions, luck Waller will be hoping turns around in time for Saturday’s Group 1 where his galloper will don the blinkers.
The Trent Busuttin-trained Atmosphere, like Preferment, is a maiden coming into the Derby onto the back of three straight second place finishes including in the Moonee Valley Vase last weekend.
Another last start winner along with Hampton Court who was a big winner at the Victoria Derby barrier draw was the John O’Shea-trained Gouldian, one of two in the race for Godolphin.
The Street Cry colt missed last week’s Moonee Valley Vase lead-up due to a minor throat infection but looked on track for the Derby regardless when working strongly at Flemington on Tuesday morning.
Gouldian is drawn in barrier three which stable rep Jason Walsh described as “a beautiful gate” despite the barrier not having produced a Victoria Derby winner in the past 31 years.
Godolphin’s other runner is then the Geelong Classic winner Nozomi prepared by Anthony Freedman.
Dwayne Dunn has the ride on the son of Street Cry after guiding him to a narrow victory over Preferment last time out from barrier six (of 14).
On Saturday Nozomi has barrier 13 and has a hoodoo to overcome with no Geelong Classic winner having backed up to win the VRC Derby in 40 years.
The other last start winner in the race meanwhile is the Mick Price-trained Moonovermanhattan who will be on the short seven day turnaround after a tidy victory in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) last Saturday.
The Vase has proven a strong guide to Saturday’s Group 1 over the years with Efficient the last to complete the double back in 2006 before coming back to take out the Melbourne Cup 12 months later.
In the Vase Manhattan Rain colt Moonovermanhattan overcame the outside barrier 11 and has another wide gate on Saturday with Craig Newitt riding from barrier 12.
Other notable Victoria Derby hopes and their gates then include Caulfield Classic third placegetter Firehouse Rock (barrier 10) and Mark Kavanagh’s recent UCI Stakes winner at the track Magicool (16) giving Glen Boss work to do from the wide barrier.
See below for the full 2014 Victoria Derby barrier draw and field with updated odds to open shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au – home of the $3 million Megapick this weekend!
2014 Victoria Derby Barriers & Field
Flemington Race 7 (3:45pm) – 01/11/2014
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| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Br. | Wgt. | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2710×83411 | HAMPTON COURT | Gai Waterhouse | Kerrin McEvoy | 11 | 55.5kg | 104 |
| 2 | 1×04271 | MOONOVERMANHATTAN | Mick Price | Craig Newitt | 12 | 55.5kg | 92 |
| 3 | 13×5575180 | PRENTICE | Simon Foster | Luke Nolen | 8 | 55.5kg | 73 |
| 4 | 23183 | FIREHOUSE ROCK | David Hayes & Tom Dabernig | Nicholas Hall | 10 | 55.5kg | 74 |
| 5 | 5×1215 | MAGICOOL | Mark Kavanagh | Glen Boss | 16 | 55.5kg | 78 |
| 6 | 3×15723010 | LOTION | David Hayes & Tom Dabernig | Michael Walker | 5 | 55.5kg | 71 |
| 7 | 48×65311 | NOZOMI | Anthony Freedman | Dwayne Dunn | 13 | 55.5kg | 71 |
| 8 | 623×6144 | LIGHT UP MANHATTAN | Ciaron Maher | Mark Zahra | 7 | 55.5kg | 68 |
| 9 | 3×2117 | BONDEIGER | Danny O’Brien | James Winks | 1 | 55.5kg | 70 |
| 10 | x552x41024 | ROYAL STANDING | Brent Stanley | Damian Lane | 15 | 55.5kg | 70 |
| 11 | 5222 | ATMOSPHERE (NZ) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Joao Moreira | 4 | 55.5kg | 78 |
| 12 | 743×451 | GOULDIAN | John O’Shea | James McDonald | 3 | 55.5kg | 66 |
| 13 | 732242 | PREFERMENT (NZ) | Chris Waller | Damien Oliver | 6 | 55.5kg | 68 |
| 14 | 0798×427 | CUBAN FIGHTER | Robbie Laing | TBA | 9 | 55.5kg | 61 |
| 15 | 158 | SAN PADRE | Michael Kent | Tommy Berry | 2 | 55.5kg | 63 |
| 16 | 8×839024 | THE MIGHTY JROD (NZ) | Robbie Laing | TBA | 17 | 55.5kg | 62 |
| 17e | 5×8307 | VERREAUX (NZ) | Mark Kavanagh | Blake Shinn | 14 | 55.5kg | 58 |
