Manikato Stakes Results & Replays
Victoria Derby Tips & Preview 2022
Looking for Victoria Derby tips and best bets? We dissect times and form to find the winner of the 2022 Victoria Derby at Flemington.
VICTORIA DERBY BETTING SNAPSHOT
The Victoria Derby pits the three-year-old stayers up against one another and it is the last start Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) winner, Berkeley Square, that holds favouritism at the $3.30 quote, just ahead of the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) winner, Sharp N Smart.
Another victorious last start performer is Mr Maestro. He took out the Caulfield Classic (2000m) on Caulfield Cup day and is $5.50. Pericles is the other runner under double figures at $8.50. Muramasa ($16), Foujita San ($19), Let’srollthedice ($26) and Manzoice ($26) head the rest of the 16-horse field and one emergency.
VICTORIA DERBY FORM ANALYSIS
The Moonee Valley Vase is always one of the key lead ups to this race and has provided three of the past seven winners, most recently, Johnny Get Angry, who was 3rd in the 2020 edition of that race before his memorable Derby success.
Berkeley Square sat three deep and handy in the run before exerting authority at the business end to win by nearly a length from Virtuous Circle.
The Dan O’Sullivan-trained galloper was the luckless runner in the Caulfield Guineas at his start prior behind Golden Mile. He went 11.1 lengths faster than standard benchmark in the Vase, which is better than what any runner in this race has produced.
Pericles was 3rd and went for home a tad early, producing the fastest 400m-200m split before being overhauled late. Berardino was 5th and might have been on the inferior ground on the inside.
Skyphios also comes out of the Vase and ran 7th. He was a tad keen early on. He looked a star in the making at Flemington earlier this year when going 10.7 lengths faster than standard over the 1800m. They are the third best figures that any horse in this race has produced and is one that might enjoy getting back to headquarters.
Four runners come out of the Caulfield Classic and it was Mr Maestro that went 7.9 lengths faster than standard to claim the Caulfield Group 1. He made a long and sustained run and was a winner at Flemington prior to that in the Super Impose Stakes (1800m). That form has held up since.
Muramasa was runner-up in the Caulfield Classic, while Distrustful Award and Fearless Knight were 3rd and 4th respectively. Fearless Knight produced the fastest last 200m, while Distrustful Award chased well and might like the step to the 2500m.
Grand Pierro was 5th behind Mr Maestro in the Super Impose Stakes and has since claimed the Geelong Classic (2200m), going just 3.7 lengths slower than standard. Not quite sure that this is the race and the likes of Letsrollthedice (2nd), Kings Crossing (3rd) and Aberfeldie Boy (4th) might need to show improvement.
Sharp N Smart comes down from Sydney after claiming both the Gloaming Stakes (1800m) and the Spring Champion. He was wide in the Randwick Group 1 but overcame that to go 7.9 lengths faster than standard, defeating Elliptical, who had previously finished runner-up behind Golden Mile in the Caulfield Guineas.
Foujita San comes to Flemington without a run since coming 12th in the Caulfield Guineas, beaten three lengths. He will be following the blueprint set by Hitotsu last year. That horse was a similar margin away when 5th to Anamoe in the Caulfield Guineas before claiming the Derby.
VICTORIA DERBY TIPS AND BEST BETS
You can tie in a number of the formlines through the Caulfield Guineas and the Super Impose Stakes. Back Berkeley Square with some degree of confidence. He is a two time winner already at Flemington, albeit over shorter trips. Plenty of unknowns as the youngsters get to the 2500m for the first time, while a number are still on the up. But he has drawn barrier 5, which looks perfect, while he was tough to the line in the Vase. I also wouldn’t mind having something on Skyphios. He has some ground to make up after being well beaten at Moonee Valley last weekend but I loved his run at Flemington back in July as a two-year-old when coming from the clouds to knock over Quang Tri. He might be a different specimen back at headquarters and in the better ground this weekend.
