The Kiwis have a great chance to win a third straight Group 1 $2m BMW Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on day one of ‘The Championhips’ on Saturday with last start winners Gingernuts and Jon Snow headlining the 2017 thirteen horse field.
Tavago won last year’s Australian Derby for Kiwi trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young who has since relocated to Cranbourne outside of Melbourne and Cambridge trainer Murray Baker won the 2015 Australian Derby with Mongolian Khan.
Baker along with co-trainer Andrew Forsman will saddle up Jon Snow this year who was an impressive winner of the Group 2 $200,000 Power Distribution Australia Tulloch Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill after finishing third to Gingernuts in the Group 1 NZ$1m New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on March 4.
The Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards trained Gingernuts made it two Group 1 victories in succession when he scored a comfortable win in the Group 1 $600,000 Sky Racing Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill on March 18.
Top Kiwi jockey Opie Bosson has been aboard the Iffraaj gelding for his two Group 1 wins and is in the saddle again while Melbourne jockey Damian Lane has retained the ride on Jon Snow.
Victoria Derby winner Prized Icon is set to back up for a third week on the trot in the Australian Derby with Glyn Schofield in the saddle again after he was aboard two starts back when tenth to Gingernuts in the Rosehill Guineas and last start when he chased home Jon Snow when second in the Tulloch Stakes.
The Robbie Laing trained So Si Bon will be taking on Gingernuts again after running third to the New Zealand Derby winner in the Rosehill Guineas with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle again.
Tommy Berry rides the Team Hawkes trained Inference in the Australian Derby after partnering the So You Think colt to victory in the Group 1 $1m Girvan Waugh Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick on March 4 before the pair ran second to Gingernuts in the Rosehill Guineas.
The remainder of the field is made up of Hardham (Luke Nolen), Anaheim (Hugh Bowman), Ruthven (Mark Zahra), Harper’s Choice (Jason Collett), Hollywood Mo (Zac Purton), Impavido (Joao Moreira), Righteous Mate (Tye Angland), and Shine Tak Star (Brenton Avdulla).
Field for 2017 Australian Derby
No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 63351×6202 | PRIZED ICON | James Cummings | Glyn Schofield | 6 | 56.5kg | 107 |
2 | 21×401111 | GINGERNUTS (NZ) | Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards | Opie Bosson | 12 | 56.5kg | 106 |
3 | x11433x512 | INFERENCE | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Tommy Berry | 4 | 56.5kg | 100 |
4 | x289333731 | JON SNOW (NZ) | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Damian Lane | 9 | 56.5kg | 90 |
5 | 165344×403 | SO SI BON | Robbie Laing | Kerrin McEvoy | 7 | 56.5kg | 86 |
6 | 1x3670x671 | HARDHAM | David Brideoake | Luke Nolen | 5 | 56.5kg | 66 |
7 | 323211×354 | ANAHEIM | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Hugh Bowman | 1 | 56.5kg | 80 |
8 | 112×522 | RUTHVEN | Ciaron Maher | Mark Zahra | 8 | 56.5kg | 75 |
9 | 26×3121265 | HARPER’S CHOICE | Gerald Ryan | Jason Collett | 10 | 56.5kg | 74 |
10 | 53226×5576 | HOLLYWOOD MO | Paul Perry | Zac Purton | 3 | 56.5kg | 67 |
11 | 17346 | IMPAVIDO | Bjorn Baker | Joao Moreira | 11 | 56.5kg | 74 |
12 | 312×758 | RIGHTEOUS MATE (NZ) | Mark Newnham | Tye Angland | 2 | 56.5kg | 68 |
13 | 95416×5062 | SHINE TAK STAR | John Sargent | Brenton Avdulla | 13 | 56.5kg | 59 |