Front running colt Thinkin’ Big has drawn barrier nine in the capacity field for the 2018 Group 1 $2m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington.

Thinkin’ Big, above, draws barrier 9 in the 2018 Victoria Derby at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

A final field of sixteen plus two emergencies made up the numbers for the Victoria Derby and the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Thinkin’ Big will jump from gate seven is both the reserves fail to gain a start.

Tim Clark gets the ride again after being aboard the High Chaparral colt for his three Spring Carnival starts which resulted with a first up win in the Group 3 $200,000 360DMG Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Rosehill followed by a third in the Group 1 $500,000 Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick and then another all the win in the Group 3 $350,000 Ladbrokes Classic (2000m) at Caulfield.

The Waterhouse – Bott Team said that the Group 1 $7.3m Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington next Tuesday is also an option but they will wait until after the Victoria Derby before finalising that venture.

“We haven’t given the Melbourne Cup a huge amount of thought with the three-year-old, we just want to get through our first goal which is the Derby but we have left the option open to run in the Cup,’’ Bott told The Daily Telegraph.

“The Derby is what we set out to do, what we set out to achieve.’’

“It’s a prestigious race, we would love to be able to win it and this way we are giving him his chance.

“He has had a good grounding for the Derby and he is bred to see out the 2500m.’’

Trainer Darren Weir’s two Victoria Derby runners were out of luck at the barrier draw with Extra Brut drawing gate fifteen in the original draw while Savoie came up with gate seventeen with both to move in two spots if both of the emergencies fail to gain a start.

John Allen gets the ride again on Extra Brut after being aboard for his last four starts which included a hat trick of wins before his last start sixth to Thinkin’ Big in the Ladbrokes Classic while Dean Yendall has also been the regular rider for Savoie for his last four starts and the colt will back up in the Victoria Derby following his second to Stars Of Carrum in the Group 2 $200,000 Drummond Golf Vase (2040m) at The Valley last Saturday.

The Robbie Laing trained Stars Of Carrum is also backing up after his Drummond Golf Vase win and has drawn nicely at barrier seven with Ben Melham in the saddle again.

The Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig will have three runners in the 2018 Victoria Derby, Mickey Blue Eyes (Regan Bayliss, barrier 3), Seberate (Cory Parish, barrier 18) and Sikorsky (Luke Nolan, barrier 6).

Betting for the 2018 Victoria Derby at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3 Thinkin’ Big, $6.50 Aramayo, $8 Extra Brut, $10 Savoie, $11 Chapada, $13 Sikorsky, Stars Of Carrum, Mickey Blue Eyes, $15 Farooq, Savvy Oak, $26 Alessandro, Visao, $31 Home Ground, $51 Tolemac, Grinzinger Star, Vow And Declare, $101 Louie The Legend, Sebarate.

Final field for the 2018 Victoria Derby (2500m)