2008 Victoria Derby – 1 November 2008

Whobegotyou is the standout of the 15 runners in the Group 1 AAMI Victoria Derby over 2500 metres at Flemington which carries prizemoney of $1.5 million. He comes into the race following runaway wins in the Stutt Stakes (1600 metres), the Caulfield Guineas (1600 metres) and the AAMI Vase (2040 metres), and has only been unplaced once in his seven starts, with five wins and a second.

His current odds-on quote of $1.55 means that he will be the shortest priced favourite in 36 years, when Sobar started at $1.35 in the Derby after winning the Caulfield Cup. Unfortunately Sobar was beaten in the Derby by Dayana. To find the last winner at $1.55 or less you have to go back to Sir Blink in 1958 who started at $1.50, and in 1957 Tulloch won at $1.10.

The only other horse under double figures is Pre Eminence who won the Norman Robinson Stakes over 2000 metres on 18 October. Third in the betting is Larrys Never Late at $11, who came fourth in the Norman Robinson but was definitely doing his best work at the end.

The trainers of the rest of the field will be hoping that Whobegotyou can’t run the 2500 metres, as none of the three-year-olds have raced over that distance before. The closest is the 2206 metre distance of the Geelong Classic on 22 October which was won by The Tiger, followed by My Scotsgrey and Rebel Raider. Flashn Dough came eighth in the 12 horse field.

The Tiger is at $26 and really does look like a stayer. So does Mr Scotsgrey who is currently at $18. He has only had three races and has managed to miss the start each time. In the Geelong Classic he rolled along next to last before they fanned out coming into the straight and was the widest runner, and just kept running on for second. His sire Golan was the sire of Kibbutz who won last years Derby, and his dam My Chameleon was by Grosvenor who won the Derby in 1982.

by Jo Jackson