John O’Shea’s progressive three-year-old Savvy Nature has opened top of the markets for the Victoria Derby 2013, the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival classic headlining the action of the first day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival in November.

Savvy Nature (outside) is early favourite in 2013 Victoria Derby betting. Photo: Steve Hart.

Nominations for this year’s $1 million Group 1 AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m), scheduled for Flemington Racecourse on Saturday November 2, were taken last week with 88 three-year-olds in the mix.

Futures Victoria Derby odds have now been released at our preferred online bookie Ladbrokes.com.au and it is Savabeel gelding Savvy Nature leading the way at $7.50.

They stepped up to black type company for the first time on September 18 and came out of nowhere to win the Group 3 Spring Stakes (1600m) in an eye-catching one and a half length effort over Wordplay.

Backing up from that at Rosehill last Saturday Savvy Nature ran a great race when second to Complacent, defeated a long neck, in the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m).

There are then two other single figure fancies in the current Victoria Derby markets including Savvy Nature’s last start conqueror, Gloaming Stakes winner Complacent at a quote of $9.

Peter Snowden’s lightly-raced Authorized colt has had four runs to date winning their last two on the trot as they won the Gloaming on the back of a Hawksbury win a fortnight earlier.

Also paying $9 is the Anthony Cummings-trained Drago, third in the Gloaming which is spuriked as the form race for the Derby this year.

A son of Danehill Dancer, Drago is a smart colt that has displayed plenty of previous staying potential including their fourth to Thousand Guineas favourite Guelph in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) as a two-year-old back in April.

They were also the emphatic four length winner of the Juvenile Stayer over 1800m at Rosehill in May and could run in the $1 million Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 12 before the Derby.

It’s a logjam of hopes then for next best in betting with eight other runners under $20.

Some of the more notable of those include Snowden’s Exceed And Excel colt San Diego ($10) last seen running sixth in the Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley, O’Reilly gelding Marwood ($11), another Snowden-trained youngster Long John ($15) who is favourite for the Caulfield Guineas and the Tony Vasil-trained Prince Harada ($15).

The make-up of the Victoria Derby pre-field odds are set for a mix up over the coming weeks as the major contenders have their lead-up runs.

Betting will also undergo a shake-up on October 22 when 2013 Victoria Derby first acceptances are taken narrowing down the list of hopefuls.

Stay tuned to Races.com.au for all the latest and in the meantime get behind your early favourites online at Ladbrokes.com.au for the best prices!

2013 Victoria Derby Odds

Flemington Racecourse – 02/11/2013

*Fixed Win odds are all-in, Top 25 only, provided by Ladbrokes.com.au and subject to change