Numbers are up at nomination stage for the Victoria Derby 2016 with 106 three-year-old staying types making up the early entries for the Flemington classic this spring.

Group 1 winning New Zealand raider Sacred Elixir is one of the headline 2016 Victoria Derby nominations for the October 29 classic at Flemington Racecourse. Photo: Steve Hart.

Entries continue to grow for the $1.5 million Group 1 AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m), running this Melbourne Cup Carnival on Saturday October 29, with nominations up from 2015 (97).

The VRC Derby along with the $1 million Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m) for the three-year-old fillies both attracted the highest number of nominations since 2007.

One of the highest-profile VRC Derby entries likely to sit near the top of futures Victoria Derby betting at Ladbrokes.com.au is the Tony Pike-trained Kiwi raider Sacred Elixir.

The Pour Moi gelding won the Group 1 J.J. Atkins (1600m) in Brisbane during the winter and is nominated for a first-up run this weekend in Melbourne’s Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m).

Two New Zealand-trained youngsters have won the Victoria Derby in the past six years with Lion Tamer (2010) and Sangster (2011) going back-to-back.

Trainer of the former (Lion Tamer) Murray Baker is back in 2016 nominating for his undefeated High Chaparral gelding Highlad who he prepares in partnership with Andrew Forsman.

Another top-rated Group 1 winner in the VRC Derby mix is the James Cummings-trained Prized Icon.

The More Than Ready colt is best known for his Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) win at Randwick during the autumn, but he has been unplaced in his two subsequent runs this time in.

Cummings has a total of three entries with Prized Icon joined by stablemates Potent Force, and Group 2 winner Good Standing who ran fifth in both the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and Golden Rose.

Last year’s VRC Derby winning trainer Mick Price (Tarzino) returns this season with four nominees: Rocketeer, Yu Long Sheng Hui, Northern Captain and Battle Order.

Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes are also in with four Victoria Derby nominations.

Hall of Famer John Hawkes won the race back in 1998 with Arena and the stable’s charge this season is led by Divine Prophet.

The Choisir colt, third to Prized Icon in the Champagne Stakes as a two-year-old, won the Group 3 Up & Coming Stakes (1300m) first-up in August before a close last start fourth to Astern in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on September 10.

Team Hawkes’ other entries are: So You Think colt Inference, Sepoy colt Ready Fire Aim and the undefeated Swear who was last seen winning the Group 3 Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m).

Just two fillies are among this year’s VRC Derby nominations: the Anthony Cummings-trained Moqueen and the Lindsay Park-trained Harlow Gold.

Numbers-wise Robbie Laing, who prepared the 2013 winner Polanski, and John O’Shea headline the nominations with eight entries each.

O’Shea and the Godolphin charge is led by Flemington black-type winner Trenchant.

Other noteworthy nominees include the Ciaron Maher-trained Throssell, the Tony McEvoy-trained Hey Doc and Chris Waller’s Ming Dynasty runner-up High Mist.

The 2016 Victoria Derby first acceptances close on October 18.

See below for the full Victoria Derby 2016 nominations before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au for access to all the season’s top Group 1 racing odds and offers.

2016 VRC Derby Nominations

Flemington Racecourse – 29/10/2016