The 2017 Victoria Derby field has been released and a capacity field of 16 gallopers will contest the Group 1 event at Flemington on Saturday.
Ace High will go into the Victoria Derby as one of the leading contenders. Photo by: Steve Hart
The 2017 edition of the Victoria Derby is set to be one of the most open in the recent history of the race and there are a number of different horses that are currently in the battle for favouritism.
Ace High stamped himself as a horse to follow when he won the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 23 in very tough fashion and he went to the top of the Victoria Derby betting market with Ladbrokes following his win in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on October 7.
He narrowly beat Tangled to take out the Spring Champion Stakes and Tangled will have the chance to turn-the-tables on his rival in the Victoria Derby.
Tangle was sent to Melbourne following his second place finish in the Spring Champion Stakes and he finished second behind Cliff’s Edge in the Group 3 Ladbrokes Classic (2000m) at Caulfield on October 21.
Another horse that comes out of the Ladbrokes Classic is Main Stage, who is another horse that has been well-supported in Victoria Derby betting markets.
Main Stage showed an explosive turn-of-foot to record a most impressive win in the UCI Stakes at Flemington on October 7 before he could finish no better than third in the Ladbrokes Classic.
He is joined in the 2017 Victoria Derby field by stablemates Sully, Johnny Vinko and first emergency Beachwood.
The other leading Kiwi is Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman-trained Weather With You, who rocketed into Victoria Derby calculations with his tough victory in the Geelong Classic last Wednesday.
Baker has previously won the Victoria Derby with Lion Tamer in 2010 and he took out both the Australian Derby with Jon Snow and the Australian Oaks with Bonneval earlier this year.
James Cummings won last year’s Victoria Derby with Prized Icon and he has Astoria in the 2017 Victoria Derby Field and he will jump from barrier one with the in-form Damian Lane in the saddle.
The 2017 Victoria Derby field is rounded out by Eshtiraak, Aberro, Pissaro, Justice Faith, Ocean’s Fourteen, Greycliffe, Nothing Too Hard, Rockarral and Wolfe Tone.
