Neds Perfect Match: Victoria Derby Edition

Written by Jared Timms

To celebrate Neds Filter Form, the feature that allows you to find your Perfect Match, we’re looking at Perfect Matches from the world of sport and racing.

This week, it’s the Victoria Derby!

Neds Filter Form allows you to create form-based singles and multi bets across all three racing codes without having to study the form.

Simply choose from filters like Jockeys, Tracks and Trainers, and the tip looks after itself!

The Victoria Derby is the major target for the country’s best three-year-old stayers year-in, year-out, and class field of fourteen will assemble at the 2500m on Saturday afternoon.

Get involved in the comments section on Facebook and let us know which Victoria Derby perfect matches we’ve forgotten!

The Race & A Rich History

The Victoria Derby is one of Australia’s oldest and most celebrated races, and actually pre-dates the Melbourne Cup.

Its first edition was won by Rose Of May in 1855, and it has subsequently been won by some of the world’s best-ever horses, including Phar Lap (1929), Tulloch (1957) and subsequent Melbourne Cup winner Efficient (2006).

The Derby & Moonee Valley Vase

Contested just a week prior, the Moonee Valley Vase has proven to be a key form race for the Victoria Derby.

Sixteen of the last thirty-five Victoria Derby winners have come through the Vase, with five completing the double.

2020 Vase winner Cherry Tortoni and third placegetter Johnny Get Angry will attempt to strengthen that record on Saturday.

The Derby & The Cummings Family

The Cummings family are a doyen of Australian horse racing, but they have a particularly rich history in the Victoria Derby.

When now-Godolphin Australia boss James saddled Prized Icon to success in 2016, he became the fourth-generation Cummings to win the Victoria Derby, with father Anthony winning in 2012 with Fiveandahalfstar, grandfather Bart winning five times, and great grandfather Jim winning in 1948 with Comic Court.

The Derby & Bobbie Lewis

The great Bobbie Lewis first tasted Derby success aboard Maltster in 1900 and remains the race’s most successful jockey, having saluted eight time.

Lewis was at the top of his game for several decades, and his final Victoria Derby win came aboard Trivalve in 1927.

The Derby & Damien Oliver

In recent years, champion hoop Damien Oliver has made the Victoria Derby his own, riding six winners in total.

Oliver steered Warning to an impressive victory in last year’s Victoria Derby, and will climb aboard early favourite Young Werther on Saturday.

Favourites & Getting Beaten

The Victoria Derby hasn’t proven to be a particularly good hunting ground for market favourites.

Since 2007, just two favourites have won the Victoria Derby – Tarzino (2015) and Ace High (2017).

Within that period of time, we’ve also seen some notable roughies salute, including Rebel Raider in 2008 ($100) and Fiveandahalfstar in 2012 ($40).

At publish, the Danny O’Brien-trained Young Werther holds $3.10 favouritism in 2020 Victoria Derby betting.

The Derby & Outstanding Support Races

The Derby itself might not be held in quite the same esteem as the Caulfield Cup, the Cox Plate or the Melbourne Cup, but it headlines the strongest day of racing during the Spring Carnival each year.

The Derby is one of four Group 1 features on the nine-race program, but every single race boasts black type status.

The Coolmore Stud Stakes looms as a particularly exciting contest in 2020, with the likes of Farnan, Anders, September Run and Swats That all expected to run.

Filter Form & Finding The Winner

The 2020 Victoria Derby will be the first opportunity that we get to find the winner with Filter Form!

Simply navigate to the Filter Form tab and enter all of your form preferences to find your perfect match in the Derby.