Trainer Tony McEvoy’s unbeaten colt Royal Symphony is among the ninety-eight nominations for the 2017 Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on November 4.

Royal Symphony, above, is among the nominations for the 2017 Victoria Derby at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Royal Symphony, above, is among the nominations for the 2017 Victoria Derby at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Royal Symphony is the nominal favourite for the Group 1 $2m Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 14 after winning all four of his race starts, including a super effort to overcome a checked path to win the Listed $120,000 Pin & Win Plate (1400m) at Flemington on September 16.

McEvoy has also nominated the promising Azazel as well as Black Hat, Rockarral and Shirley’s Eagle.

The Phillip Stokes trained Eclair Sunshine finished a close second to Royal Symphony in the Pin & Win Plate and is also nominated for the Victoria Derby.

The Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig win the prize again for the most number of three year olds entered for the Victoria Derby with ten.

At the moment the Reset colt Muraahib seems to be the best performed with a third two starts back in the Group 3 $150,000 H.D.F McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on September 2.

Victoria’s leading trainer Darren Weir also has plenty of numbers for the Victoria Derby with last start winner Cliff’s Edge heading up his eight nominations.

The powerful Godolphin stable has five three year olds among the nominations for the Victoria Derby with Medaglia D’Oro colt Astoria the best performed with a win in the Group 3 $150,000 NJC 3yo Spring Stakes (1600m) at Newcastle on September 15.

First acceptances for the Victoria Derby will close at 12 noon on Tuesday, 24 October 2017.

Nominations for the 2017 Victoria Derby (2500m)

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer
1 226×14 ABERRO C 3 Matt Laurie
2 65564×1551 ACE HIGH C 3 David Payne
3 0650342 ALLOYE C 3 Brian McGrath
4 16 AMERICAN SUNDAY C 3 Darren Weir
5 4413 AMEROCK C 3 Darren Weir
6 9×38 ANCIENT ECHOES C 3 Darren Weir
7 3×42131 ANIMALIA G 3 James Cummings
8 120×315 ASTORIA C 3 James Cummings
9 203×16 ATARAXIA C 3 James Cummings
10 68×11 ATHLETE G 3 Neville Parnham
11 8×73217 AUGUSTUS C 3 Chris Waller
12 14x24x147 AZAZEL C 3 Tony McEvoy
13 8×49 BASANITE C 3 Robbie Laing
14 5×78 BEACHWOOD (NZ) G 3 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
15 06 BIG DAY G 3 Jason Warren
16 59 BLACK HAT (NZ) C 3 Tony McEvoy
17 73×15 BUNKER BUSTER G 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
18 90 CAERUS C 3 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
19 7x5x CHINA GALE C 3 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
20 780 CHIPOTLE G 3 Lee Curtis
21 22 CIRCOMO C 3 Anthony Freedman
22 21×8181 CLIFF’S EDGE C 3 Darren Weir
23 167×64868 COLESBERG G 3 David Payne
24 9 DALAHOUSE C 3 Darren Weir
25 6322234×1 DANGER DEAL G 3 Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas
26 61x DANTE ROSSETTI C 3 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
27 033 DREAM ALLIANCE C 3 Henry Dwyer
28 049x876x5 DUNATUN G 3 Garry White
29 4 EARNEST CREDERE C 3 John Sadler
30 2x26x1x22 ECLAIR SUNSHINE G 3 Phillip Stokes
31 5×80 ELTIZAAM C 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
32 3 ESCALATOR (NZ) G 3 Robert Smerdon
33 111617×425 ESHTIRAAK C 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
34 8 FRANKIEDEE C 3 Alicia Macpherson
35 2 FREE FLY TOO C 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
36 249×6417 GIVE C 3 John Moloney
37 4x601x GRAND CASINO C 3 John Sadler
38 0x1 GREYCLIFFE (NZ) C 3 Matt Cumani
39 254 HEAVENLY THOUGHT C 3 Darren Weir
40 10×1 HECTA C 3 Symon Wilde
41 1 HIGHOFFER G 3 Darren Weir
42 421 HOLY SNOW C 3 Mick Price
43 HOTEL AMOUR G 3 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
44 451 HUANG YAOSHI C 3 Chris Waller
45 INSTINCTUAL G 3 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
46 601x INTO RIO (NZ) G 3 Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra
47 22 JOHNNY VINKO (NZ) G 3 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
48 9x JUKILA (NZ) G 3 Michelle Payne
49 8325x JUSTICE FAITH C 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
50 421 LANGLEY C 3 John O’Shea
51 1×1 LEVENDI C 3 Peter Gelagotis
52 177 LUVALUVA (NZ) F 3 John Sargent
53 3×21 MAIN STAGE (NZ) G 3 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
54 83 MANESTREAM G 3 Clinton McDonald
55 15×11 MASCULINO C 3 Mick Price
56 2×3 MIGHTY QUINN (NZ) C 3 Matt Cumani
57 62031 MISSION VISION G 3 Brent Stanley
58 11638×30 MURAAHIB C 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
59 117 MUTAMAYEL C 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
60 33x NOTHIN’ LEICA HIGH C 3 Robbie Griffiths
61 8004×5473 NOTHING TOO HARD G 3 Paul Perry
62 3 OCEAN’S FOURTEEN (NZ) C 3 Ciaron Maher
63 1x OCTABELLO C 3 Mick Price
64 1×50 OUYANG FENG (NZ) C 3 Mick Price
65 316x30x10 PADRAIG (NZ) G 3 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
66 505×75 PISSARO C 3 Robbie Laing
67 6 PROPRIUS (NZ) C 3 Mick Price
68 1231x RANCHO MONTOYA C 3 Stuart Kendrick
69 1 RESERVE STREET C 3 Ciaron Maher
70 3 ROCKARRAL G 3 Tony McEvoy
71 0x5x ROSHERVILLE G 3 Lee Curtis
72 111×1 ROYAL SYMPHONY C 3 Tony McEvoy
73 12×2 SALSAMOR (NZ) C 3 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
74 4x43135x72 SAMBRO C 3 Chris Waller
75 31×322 SANCTIONED C 3 James Cummings
76 20x5x SAVAHEAT (NZ) C 3 Darren Weir
77 9016×85127 SHEER MADNESS G 3 John Salanitri
78 SHIRLEY’S EAGLE G 3 Tony McEvoy
79 601561 SILENT COMMAND C 3 Nick Smart
80 9x57x24 SPENCER G 3 Anthony & Edward Cummings
81 3446x ST VADUZ C 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
82 23×114 SULLY (NZ) G 3 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
83 5x25x4332 SUNQUEST C 3 Steve Richards
84 45231 SURPRISE BULLET C 3 Barry Lockwood
85 4x51100x9 TANGLED C 3 Chris Waller
86 201 TAVISTOCK ABBEY (NZ) G 3 Anthony Freedman
87 2x08x THE DELPHI (NZ) C 3 Michael Moroney
88 4 THE SLEDGEHAMMER G 3 John Sadler
89 1442×70 TOGA PICTA C 3 James Cummings
90 755 UNDERGROUND C 3 Brad Widdup
91 49×431 VALIANT SPIRIT G 3 Daniel Williams
92 3 VILLERMONT C 3 Ciaron Maher
93 VIN DE DANCE (NZ) G 3 Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman
94 VON MYSTIC G 3 Todd Smart
95 422×2 WEATHER WITH YOU G 3 Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman
96 3 WOLFE TONE (NZ) C 3 Francis Finnegan
97 2 WOULDA THOUGHT SO G 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
98 30×3722 YUE FEI C 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.