Flemington Racecourse was host to the opening Melbourne Cup Carnival meeting 2011 Victoria Derby Day on Saturday October 29, and below you will find the complete Flemington race results including the winning Derby Day first fours, margins, times and a quick review on the nine quality events that took place.
The day started well for the punters with odds-on favourite Galah from the Peter Snowden stables saluting in the first in a thrilling photo finish, and the favourites kept saluting.
2011 Victoria Derby winner Sangster
It was a day Luxbet punters dream about with three odds-on favourites saluting in the opening four races.
Following Galah was Mark Kavanagh’s freakish filly Atlantic Jewel running the ideal Crown Oaks 2011 trial with a massive seven length success in the $300,000 Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m), and then Snowden’s champion Sepoy becoming a four-time Group 1 hero in the $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m).
Headlining the day’s action was of course the three-year-olds’ classic, the $1.5 million Group 1 AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) where New Zealand visitor Sangster went back-to-back for the Kiwis and handed jockey Hugh Bowman his second straight success in the classic following his win aboard the late great Lion Tamer last year.
Other highlights of the day included the $250,000 Group 3 The Lexus Stakes (2500m) where the winner Niwot earned a Melbourne Cup ballot exemption for next Tuesday’s iconic clash, the Hawkes-trained galloper out to emulate their stablemate Maluckyday who ran second in the Melbourne Cup 12 months ago on the back of a Lexus Stakes victory.
Check out all the Victoria Derby Day winners and First Four over the line, along with the winning times and margins below.
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Race 1 – Inglis Carbine Club Stakes (1600m)
- 1st: #1 Galah
- 2nd: #2 Highly Recommended
- 3rd: #6 Saint Etienne
- 4th: #3 First Course
- Winning Time: 1:37.84
- Winning Margin: 0.1L
Race Review: First race, first odds-on favourite and first three-year-old winner for Snowden on Derby Day. After settling well back off the temp throughout, Galah took a very long time to wind up once on the straight and chase down frontrunner Highly Recommended. It looked as though they wouldn’t get there for the Luxbet punters, but in a thrilling photo finish Galah finally came good thanks to a patient ride from Kerrin McEvoy who refused to give up, the favourite finding the line a nose in front of Highly Recommended. Saint Etienne who travelled sweetly throughout held on for third a mere nose away again in a photo. If they take Galah onto the Sandown Guineas, might be looking at blinkers to sharpen them up so they are more convincing than they were for this.
Race 2 – The Lexus Stakes (2500m)
- 1st: #5 Niwot
- 2nd: #11 Macedonian
- 3rd: #14 Anudjawun
- 4th: 9 Raffaello
- Winning Time: 2:37.53
- Winning Margin: 3.0L
Race Review: Niwot raced their way into the 2011 Melbourne Cup field with their outstanding three length victory in The Lexus Stakes, the ballot exemption for next Tuesday’s showpiece ensuring the formerly 34th on the order of entry Niwot goes to the Cup. Luxbet favourite Green Moon tried to lead all the way but was left behind with the Hawkes-trained Niwot proving they had the stamina and attitude for the testing two-miles of the Melbourne Cup, giving their trainers back-to-back Lexus Stakes wins following the success of last year’s subsequent Melbourne Cup runner-up Maluckday’s win 12 months ago.
Race 3 – Wakeful Stakes (2000m)
- 1st: #1 Atlantic Jewel
- 2nd: #6 Rahveel
- 3rd: #4 Dowager Queen
- 4th: #5 Gliding
- Winning Time: 2:4.98
- Winning Margin: 7.0L
Race Review: Atlantic Jewel once again showed she was too good for the current crop of three-year-old fillies, easily annihilating the Wakeful Stakes field by an impressive seven lengths. Mark Kavanagh’s star is now five-from-five going into the 2011 Crown Oaks – for which she was already odds-on favourite for at Luxbet. Was a brave run by second placegetter Rahveel from the stables of Leon Corstens, the filly a nice chance for a Crown Oaks place while third went to the always consistent Dowager Queen.
Race 4 – Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m)
- 1st: #1 Sepoy
- 2nd: #4 Foxwedge
- 3rd: #10 Satin Shoes
- 4th: #8 Zamorar
- Winning Time: 1:10.49
- Winning Margin: 0.2L
Race Review: Sepoy did it again, and while his 10th career win from 11 starts wasn’t quite as impressive or commanding as his former victories, this Snowden-trained stallion-in-the-making showed true grit holding on to beat a fast finishing Foxwedge. Satin Shoes was as brave as ever in third. Sepoy goes to the paddock now as a four-time Group 1 winner and will be back for the autumn before heading to England for the Royal Ascot, a definite odds-on favourite to back every time at Luxbet.
Race 5 – Longines Mackinnon Stakes (2000m)
- 1st: #8 Glass Harmonium
- 2nd: #4 Mourayan
- 3rd: #12 Rekindled Interest
- 4th: #13 Southern Speed
- Winning Time: 2:2.72
- Winning Margin: 0.8L
Race Review: Known barrier-rogue Glass Harmonium took some time to get settled before the Mackinnon, but once they were in they were always in it to win. In a truly impressive all-the-way success the beautiful grey import, who had no luck last start when 10th in the Cox Plate, lead from the very early stages and held on right until the end to pull away for an excellent victory. Connections to decide whether to press onto the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, or accept that 2000 metres and not 3200 is where this champ best belongs. Mourayan runs an eye-catching second in the perfect Cup lead-up, while Rekindled Interest records another third place to add to the one they got in the Cox Plate.
Race 6 – AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m)
- 1st: #5 Sangster
- 2nd: #7 Induna
- 3rd: #4 Sabrage
- 4th: #13 Zabeelionaire
- Winning Time: 2:40.33
- Winning Margin: 0.2L
Race Review: In one of the roughest run Derbies seen in many years, it was Kiwi galloper Sangster who stepped up to the challenge and the 2500-metres in 2011, the Savabeel gelding holding on in a tight finish with last-start Geelong Classic winner Induna. Peter Snowden was unlucky not to claim the VRC Derby with Induna after the galloper suffered multiple cases of interferences, nearly pushed off the track in the early stages, to run home strongly down the outside and be denied victory by a nose. Sabrage had a good run throughout to finish third.
Race 7 – Myer Classic (1600m)
- 1st: #7 Hurtle Myrtle
- 2nd: #2 Sacred Choice
- 3rd: #8 Dysphonia
- 4th: #10 Skyerush
- Winning Time: 1:37.50
- Winning Margin: 1.3L
Race Review: In a big Derby Day upset Matthew Smith’s consistent Sydney mare Hurtle Myrtle claimed a smart win as a $16 outsider at Luxbet in the Myer Classic, too strong for her rivals over the mile. Defending champion Sacred Choice ran second this year, with Dysphonia from the Snowden stables a close third. Race favourite More Joyous did a lot of work early out wide to briefly hold the lead, but she eventually finished a well-beaten seventh six and a half lengths off the winner.
Race 8 – Seppelt Salinger Stakes (1200m)
- 1st: #6 Sister Madly
- 2nd: #13 Rarefied
- 3rd: #2 Temple Of Boom
- 4th: #14 Metallurgical
- Winning Time: 1:10.41
- Winning Margin: 0.1L
Race Review: In an incredibly brave all-the-way effort John Sadler’s Manikato Stakes runner-up Sister Madly gave it her all on Derby Day to narrowly hang on in a final stride Salinger Stakes victory. She was ahead early and keen to lead, jockey Damien Oliver getting every single bit of the mare’s ability out there as they held off a late charge by the field. In a photo finish Sister Madly was found to have beat home Rarefied and Temple Of Boom, handing Oliver his first Derby Day triple on the ninth anniversary of his brother’s death.
Race 9 – tab.com.au Stakes (1400m)
- 1st: #4 Woorim
- 2nd: #3 Thankgodyou’rehere
- 3rd: #2 Toorak Toff
- 4th: #14 Spacecraft
- Winning Time: 1:23.51
- Winning Margin: 2.0L
Race Review: Queensland’s most successful trainer Rob Heathcote finished off Derby Day on a high uncovering a genuine chance in next Saturday’s 2011 Emirates Stakes in Woorim. The brave Brisbane raider had the extreme outside gate, but it proved the winning draw for the gallant galloper as they swooped late and charged home to score in a big win over Thankgodyou’rehere. Toorak Toff finished off the Trifecta in third. Woorim showed a liking for Flemington and was weighted to win with 56kg, making them a nice Luxbet selection for next weekend. Woorim was also the Races.com.au Race 9 tip to win!
