G1 Victoria Derby: What You Need To Know

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VICTORIA DERBY

The $2 million race for three-year-olds (2500m) at Melbourne's racecourse is one of the oldest in the world

HISTORY

* First run in 1855 when won by Rose Of May, the Victoria Derby pre-dates the Melbourne Cup by six years

* Its prize money has been increased $500,000 from 2017

NOTABLE WINNERS

* Manfred (1925), Phar Lap (1929), Skipton (1941), Comic Court (1948), Delta (1949), Tulloch (1957), Sky High (1960), (1965), (1978), Mahogany (1993), Elvstroem (2003), (2006), Preferment (2014)

TALKING POINTS

* James Scobie holds the training record with eight winners

* The late Bart Cummings and the late TJ Smith share modern-day training honours with five winners each

* , 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 the most Victoria Derby wins with eight

* Tulloch was the shortest-priced favourite at 1-10 when he won in 1957

* Martini-Henri won the 1883 Victoria Derby on his first race before clinching the Melbourne Cup on his second

* James Cummings became a fourth generation trainer to win a Victoria Derby with Prized Icon's 2016 victory

THE DISTANCE:

* The 2500m is a query for every runner as the Victoria Derby and offers the first chance for three-year-olds to be tested at the distance

MAIDENS:

* Fire Oak (1990) became the first maiden since Martini-Henri to win. Two years later Redding repeated the feat

* In 2014 Preferment also broke his maiden in the Derby. There are no maidens in this year's race

THE FAVOURITE

* If stable history is anything to go by, Thinkin' Big will be hard to beat. His co-trainer Gai Waterhouse won the race with his maternal grandsire Nothin' Leica Dane.

GODOLPHIN

* The race has been a source of frustration for Godolphin. Since 2010, the world's most identifiable racing operation has had six placegetters. Sheikh Mohammed's team will rely on second favourite , to be ridden by last year's winning jockey

* James Cummings won the race as a public trainer in 2016 and he came close again last year for Godolphin when finished third

WHAT THE MAIN PLAYERS ARE SAYING:

“He's spot on … We've been happy with him all along. He's a class horse going into a class race and he won't disappoint the punters” – Gai Waterhouse on Thinkin' Big

“I don't think there will be any more fitness to squeeze out of Aramayo in the lead-up to the weekend and getting back on the big track you can't help but feel he's going to be better suited, James Cummings on Aramayo

“He's a grinding type of stayer, not a classy type of stayer … but that's what suits a Derby sometimes. If there's a chink in the other's armours, I know he'll get the trip” – John Sargent on

“He is lightly raced, but he's big and strong and looks like he will stay a good mile-and-a-half” – James McDonald on

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