The 2016 Victoria Derby form guide is vital reading for punters ahead of the Group 1 staying event for the three year olds at Flemington on Saturday.

Form guides can often prove to be tough reading for novice punters, so we have done the hard work for you and compiled all the important information you need in order to find the winner of the 2016 Victoria Derby.

But with all sixteen three year olds tackling the 2500m of the Victoria Derby for the first time, you will have to take their staying ability on trust.

Sacred Elixir

Sacred Elixir is a clear favourite in 2016 Victoria Derby betting markets. He started his campaign with an impressive victory in the Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas Prelude at Caulfield on September 24 and he was clearly after more ground in the Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas. Sacred Elixir returned to winning form in the Moonee Valley Vase on Cox Plate Day and he stamped himself as a dominant Victoria Derby favourite with that performance. Hong Kong based jockey Zac Purton will be re-untied with the Kiwi three year old and from barrier one will give him every chance to run a out a strong 2500m and he is the horse to beat.

Prized Icon

Prized Icon has the chance to record a second Group 1 victory in the Victoria Derby. The James Cummings trained colt claimed Group 1 glory with his win in the Champagne Stakes at Randwick at the end of his two year old season during the Sydney Autumn Carnival and returned to the races for a fourth in the Up And Coming Stakes at Royal Randwick on August 20 and he was no match for the older horses in the Chelmsford Stakes at the same venue a fortnight late. He was a good thing beaten in the Gloaming Stakes at Rosehill Gardens on September 24 and he lost no admirers with his tough third in the Spring Champion Stakes at Royal Randwick on October 8. The More Than Ready colt was a touch flat in the Moonee Valley Vase and he would need to improve on that effort to be any chance in the Moonee Valley Vase.

Swear

Swear comes through a similar form line to Prized Icon. The Redoute’s Choice returned to the races with a victory in the Ming Dynasty Quality at Royal Randwick on September 3 before he was not suited by the tempo in the Gloaming Stakes. He produced the best performance of his career to finish second in the Spring Champion Stakes and Team Hawkes are confident that he will run the trip. Tommy Berry in the saddle again and he is one of the main danger to Sacred Elixir.

Rocketeer

Rocketeer has had a lengthy spring campaign that started when he finished fifth in a maiden at Sale. He has improved each time that he has stepped up in distance and he goes into the back of the Victoria Derby on the back of second place finishes in the UCI Stakes and the Ladbrokes Classic. He does have a turn-of-foot and he will be rocketing home late.

Morvada

Morvada raced well without winning in his three race starts in Adelaide this preparation before he made his Melbourne racing debut with a second place finish in the Moonee Valley Vase. He got away with a fairly soft lead in the Moonee Valley Vase and he will make his own luck right on the speed again.

Inference

Inference has done plenty wrong during his racing career to date, but he is still very talented. He started his spring campaign with back-to-back wins at both Bendigo and Pakenham before he finished fourth in the Stutt Stakes at Moonee Valley on September 30 and third in the Ladbrokes Classic. Inference hung in in both those races and he will need to do everything right to have any chance in the Victoria Derby.

Captain Duffy

Captain Duffy made a slow start to his 2016 Spring Racing Carnival campaign and he missed the placings in the Exford Plate and UCI Stakes. He went into the Geelong Classic as an outsider and he was caught wide throughout, but he was still able tough it out to the line for a strong staying win. He will have no trouble running out the trip strongly and there are much worse horses in the race.

Silvera

Silvera won the Morphettville Guineas in September and he was only denied by Crown Oaks contender Pretty Punt in the Hill Smith. He was never able to get into the race in the Moonee Valley Vase and he is another horse that could improve in the Victoria Derby.

Wine Bush

Wine Bush will be partnered by star hoop Joao Moreira in the Victoria Derby. Wine Bush was a maiden when Chris Waller set him to Melbourne and he justified his trainers faith with a fast-finishing effort in the UCI Stakes, but he was unable to replicate that form in the Ladbrokes Classic. He couldn’t win a Victoria Derby off that effort, but you can never rule out Waller and Moreira.

So Si Bon

So Si Bon has only recorded the one race win, but he has a lovely profile for the Victoria Derby. After winning his maiden at Pakehem, he ran well in both the Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas Prelude and the Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas. Sacred Elixir beat him in the Moonee Valley Vase, but it is fair to say that he did not have a great deal of luck in running. He gives the impression that he will relish the step-up in distance and he has the benefit of Hugh Bowman in the saddle.

Kent

Kent is the sole Godolphin representative in the Victoria Derby. He started his spring campaign in the Up And Coming Stakes before he was beaten as an odds-on favourite in a benchmark 72 event. Kent finished a credible fifth in the UCI Stakes and was never really able to get into the race in the Ladbrokes Classic. He has never shown any indication that he is capable of winning a race of this quality.

Highlad

Highlad started his career with two wins from as many starts in New Zealand and he has had no luck in his two runs in Australia. He was caught wide and in the wind in the UCI Stakes and was still able to tough it to the line for third, while he was not suited by the slow tempo in the Ladbrokes Classic. Craig Williams will ride him further forward in the Victoria Derby and it would not surprise to see him run a big race at juicy odds.

Beach Life

Beach Life is another promising horse that has not had a great deal of luck during his racing career to date. He was a total forgive run in the UCI Stakes and he was one of the only horses that made up any ground late against the pattern of the day in the Ladbrokes Classic. It does not surprise that he has been supported and I expect him to finish in the top six.

Tumultuous

Tumultuous is the second Chris Waller-trained horse in the Victoria Derby field. He has not recorded a race win since he took out a maiden at Kembla Grange in July. He has raced well without winning in the Gloaming Stakes, Spring Champion Stakes and Geelong Classic, but would surely need to improve on those efforts to win the Victoria Derby.

 Hollywood Mo

Hollywood Mo goes into the Victoria Derby as a maiden – just like Preferment in 2014. Hollywood Mo was beaten in a number of maidens at Canterbury, Newcastle, Warwick Farm and Canterbury before he finished a gallant second in the Geelong Classic. He is far from the worst chance in this race.

All Out Of Love

This is a big throw at the stumps for the connections of All Out Of Love. He has improved each time that he has been seen at the races this campaign in the Morphettville Guineas, UCI Stakes and Geelong Classic, but he still needs to take a massive step forward in the Victoria Derby.

Update: Peter John, Anaheim, Shine Tak Star and Zoffman have all been eliminated from 2016 Victoria Derby contention.

Peter John – 1st Emergency

Peter John was beaten in a couple of very low-rating races at Kembla Grange before he recorded a maiden race win in a Class 1 event at Canberra. This is obviously a huge step-up in class, but John Sargent has been able to pull of these sort of miracles in the past. He is the first emergency and needs a scratching to gain a start.

Anaheim – 2nd Emergency

Anaheim is another horse that comes into this race off a low-rating victory – in his case at Benalla. Trent Busuttin has previously won the Victoria Derby with Sangster in 2011, but this would be a huge upset. He is the second emergency and needs two scratchings to gain a start.

Shine Tak Star – 3rd Emergency

Shine Tak Star is the third emergency and looks highly unlikely to gain a start in the Victoria Derby. Be broke his maiden at Kembla Grange last start and he at least has the benefit of a run over 2400 metres under his belt.

Zoffman – 4th Emergency

Zoffman jumped up from 1300 metres to 2053 metres to win at Warrnambool on October 5 and he was not disgraced in the Geelong Classic. At this stage he needs a miracle in order to gain a start in the Victoria Derby.