Sydney’s premier horseman and last Saturday’s Cox Plate winning trainer Chris Waller will shoot for back-to-back wins in the Carbine Club Stakes 2015 on Victoria Derby Day saddling-up Montauk in the Flemington opener this Saturday.

Chris Waller shoots for another win in Saturday’s Carbine Club Stakes 2015 with Montauk making his Melbourne debut at Flemington. Photo: Steve Hart.

Twelve months ago during last year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival Waller took out the three-year-olds’ showdown with subsequent Doncaster Mile – George Main Group 1 winner Kermadec.

This weekend Waller returns for another shot at the $200,000 Group 3 Carbrine Club Stakes (1600m), which kicks off Derby Day and runs as Flemington Race 1 at 11:45am (AEST).

Due to jump from a nice midfield draw with Cox Plate winning jockey Hugh Bowman in the saddle, the Waller-trained More Than Ready colt Montauk has winning form over the distance in Sydney at his last start on October 17.

He debuts in Melbourne for his black-type debut on Saturday, Waller hoping he can bring his winning mile form from back home to the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

Also coming off a last start victory is the Darren Weir-trained Mahuta, the Flying Spur colt drawn a treat in gate two with Brad Rawiller booked for the ride.

The Ballarat-based youngster comes off back-to-back wins ahead of his first look at a mile, the latest being a quarter-length victory over Holler in the Listed Gothic Stakes (1400m) on Caulfield Cup Day.

The John O’Shea-trained runner-up Holler franked the Gothic Stakes form winning the Group 3 Red Anchor Stakes (1200m) on Cox Plate Day last Saturday with a runaway four and a quarter length win, which bodes well for Mahuta this weekend.

Also looking to keep the good form coming out of the Gothic Stakes going is third placed Exceed And Excel gelding Flying Light prepared by the in-form David Hayes & Tom Dabernig.

Flying Light has won just one of his six starts to date and jumps from gate six on Saturday with Michael Walker, aboard Cox Plate runner-up Criterion last weekend at Moonee Valley who also ran record time in the classic, booked to replace Damian Lane in the saddle.

Drawn the outside alley (11) for jockey Tommy Berry to overcome is the Gary Moore-trained Takedown who is out to improve on a second last when sixth in the Gothic Stakes last time out.

A Group 3 winner in Sydney during the autumn, the son of Stratum hasn’t won since late March but has form around Saturday’s 2015 Coolmore Stud Stakes favourite Exosphere having run fourth in the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) two back at the start of the month.

Adding interest to this year’s Carbine Club Stakes line-up is the inclusion of New Zealand visitor Marky Mark, a three-time winner from six starts including a Group 1 over 1400m earlier in the year.

Fourth past the post beaten only 1.3 lengths in that New Zealand elite level, He’s Our Rokkii is also in the Carbine Club Stakes as the other Hayes & Dabernig-trained hope in the race.

Now prepared locally in Melbourne, the Roc De Cambes gelding has had three runs down under most recently crossing second to Mr Individual in a Benchmark 78 over 1600m at Caulfield on October 14.

Also in the mix are the likes of the Peter Moody-trained Bassett last seen running sixth in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) three weeks back, Gredington who was third in the Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) over the distance on October 2 and Savabeel colt Deadly Shadow coming off a Listed Poseidon Stakes second over 1400m at Flemington.

Check out the full Carbine Club Stakes 2015 field, barriers and jockeys below then visit Ladbrokes.com.au who are offering Best Tote or SP + 20% on all nine Victoria Derby Day races in Melbourne on Saturday!

2015 Carbine Club Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Flemington Race 1 (11:45am) – 31/10/2015