He rode champion mare Winx to her record breaking Cox Plate victory last Saturday and this weekend Hugh Bowman will partner a horse that ran a quicker sectional on the same card So Si Bon in the 2016 Victoria Derby.

A beautifully bred son of So You Think, who was the last dual Cox Plate champion in 2009-10 before Winx showed off with an eight length title defence last weekend, the Robbie Laing-trained So Si Bon also ran at the Valley on Cox Plate Day.

The colt finished 1.75 lengths back for third behind the Kiwi-trained winner Sacred Elixir in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) with apprentice Michael Dee in the saddle.

His Cranbourne-based trainer Laing said there were excuses aplenty for his horse in the run and was impressed with what So Si Bon showed late in the piece.

“If you swap the runs with Sacred Elixir, my colt nearly would’ve won,” Laing told Racing Victoria on Sunday.

“He showed a ton of guts, and stuck on when Sacred Elixir kicked a length and a half clear.”

So Si Bon has won just one of his six career starts to date and Laing confirmed he would run in his second elite level on the short seven day back-up into the $1.5 million Group 1 AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington this Saturday.

Laing was hoping the rain stayed away from Melbourne over the week heading towards Derby Day as So Si Bon also failed to perform at his best in the Vase on a Soft-rated track.

“I knew he wouldn’t handle the wet,” he added.

Two back the youngster ran under two lengths away fifth to Divine Prophet in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m), and the VRC Derby will be his second look at the Flemington track.

In the Moonee Valley Vase, So Si Bon finished his final 600m sectional in 36.80 seconds.

Laing was quick to point out that was a faster time than Winx (37.47) bolted home over the final 600m for her eight length Cox Plate success.

“My bloke in his last 600m went home a second [0.63s] quicker than Winx,” he said.

In the past 14 years, the Moonee Valley Vase has produced eight Victoria Derby winners.

The latest was Tarzino (3^rd in 2015) 12 months ago, who was the first since the ill-fated Lion Tamer (2^nd in 2010).

The Vase – Derby double hasn’t been achieved since Efficient (2006) and this Melbourne Cup Carnival the Tony Pike-trained Sacred Elixir is favourite to be the next.

In the latest pre-field Victoria Derby odds Sacred Elixir, who is already a Group 1 winner having taken out Brisbane’s J.J. Atkins (1600m) during the winter as a two-year-old, sits top of the markets at $3.40.

So Si Bon is the equal $8 second elect in those futures Victoria Derby betting markets with the Team Hawkes-trained Inference, another son of So You Think, whose last run was on Caulfield Cup Day when third in the Group 3 Norman Robinson Stakes (2000m).

Two of the past five VRC Derby champions backed directly off a Norman Robinson Stakes run with Sangster (2^nd in 2011) and Polanski (1^st in 2013) who completed the double.

Bowman has been confirmed to ride So Si Bon for the first time in the Derby, a race he has ridden three previous champions to victory in with success aboard: Lion Tamer (2010), Sangster (2011) and Polanski (2013).

The 2016 AAMI Victoria Derby field of final acceptances is due for release on Wednesday at 9:30am (AEDT).

Before then make sure you lock in your early selections at their juicy all-in prices online at Ladbrokes.com.au – home of Enhanced Odds (T&Cs apply).