Hampton Court is on top of the 2014 Victoria Derby tips of leading form analyst Daniel O’Sullivan and believes that the Group 1 event at Flemington tomorrow is the Redoute’s Choice colt’s race to lose.
Hampton Court is Smartform Racing’s Daniel O’Sullivan’s 2014 Victoria Derby tip. Photo by: Steve Hart
Hampton Court stamped himself as a clear favourite for the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) when he upset First Seal and Sweynesse to take out the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on October 11 and that form was franked when Sweynesse ran a luckless eighth in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) last Saturday.
O’Sullivan told RSN that the Spring Champion Stakes was an extremely tough staying test and he believes that clear 2014 Victoria Derby betting favourite Hampton Court will have no trouble running out a strong 2500 metres.
“He came out of that brutal pace in the Spring Champion Stakes where he was well-suited off the speed there, but he really showed supreme staying ability as far as the three-year-olds go,” O’Sullivan said.
“It was a very good figure out of that race and we have seen some confirmation of that because Sweynesse ran quiet well in another hotly run Cox Plate.
“I think that Hampton Court crosses initially and then has the option to let the pressure go in front of him and take a sit with cover.
“It will be a good rolling tempo, which will suit his staying nature and if he gets clear running at the right time he looks almost certain to be strong at the trip.
“It will be tough for something to come from behind him and run him down.”
While O’Sullivan believes that Hampton Court will be very hard to beat in the Victoria Derby, he also feels that Danny O’Brien-trained Bondeiger represents good value at his Victoria Derby odds of $11.
Bondeiger made up good ground late against the pattern of the race in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) last Saturday and O’Sullivan is confident that the War Pass colt will relish the step-up to 2040 metres.
“I think the other horse in this field that shows really good staying potential is Bondeiger,” O’Sullivan said.
“It was terribly unsuited by the moderate pace in the Vase last start and got a long way back, but he really ran on strong with some very strong sustained sectionals in what was the fastest part of the race.
“There was a stack of merit in the run and he is clearly a horse with some staying promise.
“The challenge for him will be to hold a position from barrier one and not get shuffled too far back out of it.”
Hampton Court ($2.40) is a clear favourite in the 2014 Victoria Derby betting market at Ladbrokes for Preferment ($7), Moonovermanhattan ($9) and Bondeiger ($11).
