Sydney colt Hippopus may be a $9 chance in Saturday’s Doomben Cup but he has a key statistic in his favour.

Chris Munce (pictured) will ride three-year-old Hippopus in the Doomben Cup. Photo by: Daniel Costello.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained stayer is part of an impressive batch of three-year-olds that have been dominating the older horses.

From 14 open weight-for-age Group 1 races contested this year, eight have been won by three-year-olds.

When you consider that Black Caviar took out three of her own for the older brigade, that is quite a feat.

The likes of Pierro, All Too Hard, Super Cool, Fiveandahalfstar and most recently Your Song have all shown that, at least at the moment, youth is a better recipe for success than experience.

Hippopus will become the sixth individual three-year-old to succeed in an open weight-for-age race in the top grade if he salutes this weekend.

There is no doubting the High Chaparral colt is rising in class but he does have form on his side.

After finishing fifth in the Australian Derby to boom Kiwi It’s A Dundeel, Hippopus travelled to Melbourne to contest the VRC Leger (2800m).

The emerging stayer gave an insight into his potential as he took out the three-year-old race by three lengths.

Senior Queensland rider Chris Munce jumps aboard for the first time this weekend and is clearly excited his prospects.

“He is a progressive three-year-old and I’m really looking forward to taking on the older horses with him,” Munce said in his blog.

“His main goal is obviously the Queensland Derby but he should acquit himself well on the weekend.”

The Munce-Waterhouse combination has proven successful in the past, with the pair teaming up to win the 2010 Caulfield Cup (Descarado) and the 2004 Golden Slipper (Dance Hero).