The Victoria Derby 2016 is the headline race at Flemington Racecourse on Day 1 of the Melbourne Cup Carnival on Saturday, a full form guide analysis and betting preview for the classic found below.

Wine Bush is the only previous Flemington winner running in the 2016 Victoria Derby field at the track on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Running as Flemington Race 7 at 3:50pm, this season’s $1.5 million Group 1 AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) is shaping up as a cracking edition headed by the likes of last weekend’s Moonee Valley Vase trifecta and the Sydney raiders coming out of the Spring Champion Stakes.

Leading the Victoria Derby odds at Ladbrokes.com.au and firming fast is the Tony Pike-trained Vase winner Sacred Elixir.

The Kiwi galloper, already a Group 1 winner over the mile in Brisbane during the winter, opened at $3.50 but has been heavily backed into $2.90 in the latest Victoria Derby betting markets.

He came up trumps drawing barrier one, a gate that has produced two champions in the past decade, and is out to complete the double for the first time since Efficient (2006).

Sacred Elixir looks hard to beat again fourth-up and ready for his grand final on Saturday, and recent Victoria Derby form supports his short price in the markets.

The biggest dangers out to stop the New Zealander from saluting for the Victoria Derby punters on Saturday shape-up as the Team Hawkes-trained market mover Swear ($12 into $8.50) and So Si Bon ($10) ridden by triple Victoria Derby winning jockey Hugh Bowman.

That’s the story told by the bookmakers but what about the Victoria Derby history, form guide and statistics?

See below for the must know Victoria Derby facts before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au to back your Victoria Derby tips at the right price this spring.

2016 Victoria Derby Form Facts & Betting Stats

• Last year’s Victoria Derby winner was the Mick Price-trained Tarzino (2015) who saluted for the punters from barrier 10 (of 16) with Craig Newitt in the saddle on the back of a Moonee Valley Vase 3^rd
• Mick Price returns chasing back-to-back Victoria Derby wins for a trainer with #4 Rocketeer ($19)
• Along with Price (9-1-1-1) the other previous Victoria Derby winning trainers with a runner this year are: John Hawkes (18-1-2-4) with #3 Swear and #6 Inference; Chris Waller (1-1-0-0) with #9 Wine Bush and #14 Tumultuous; Robbie Laing (8-1-0-0) with #10 So Si Bon; Murray Baker (3-1-0-0) with #12 Highlad; and David Hayes (19-2-2-1) with #16 All Out Of Love
• Craig Newitt returns chasing back-to-back Victoria Derby wins for a jockey aboard #7 Captain Duffy ($18)
• Along with Newitt (9-1-0-1) the other previous Victoria Derby winning jockeys with a ride on Saturday are: Hugh Bowman (6-3-0-0) on #10 So Si Bon ($10) and Craig Williams (13-1-1-0) on #12 Highlad ($26)

• Last year’s winning barrier (10) has produced three Victoria Derby winners (since 1983); #3 Swear (10) is currently drawn the gate but if the emergencies come out it will belong to either #10 So Si Bon (11) or #5 Morvada (12)
• The most successful Victoria Derby barrier in that time producing five winners is barrier one; #1 Sacred Elixir ($2.90) is drawn the rails on Saturday
• Victoria Derby favourites have won just twice in the past 10 years with Efficient (2006) and Tarzino (2015); #1 Sacred Elixir is out to win for the punters this season
• Along with Tarzino (3^rd in 2015) a further seven Victoria Derby winners in the past 14 years came off a lead-up run in the Moonee Valley Vase
• Efficient (2006) was the last to win the Vase – Derby double #1 Sacred Elixir is after on Saturday

• The other Vase graduates in the VRC Derby field this weekend are: Morvada (2^nd), So Si Bon (3^rd), Prized Icon (5^th) and Silvera (7^th)
• The Norman Robinson Stakes has produced two of the past five Victoria Derby winners including Polanski (1^st in 2013) who completed the double; the race also produced four straight winners of the Group 1 from 1998-2001
• The Norman Robison (Ladbrokes) Stakes graduates in the Derby field this year are: Rocketeer (2^nd), Inference (3^rd), Beach Life (4^th), Wine Bush (5^th), Kent (8^th) and Highlad (9^th)
• Only one Victoria Derby winners in the past 10 years finished worse than fifth in their lead-up run; this year that rules out: #11 Kent (8^th), #12 Highlad (9^th) and #20e Zoffman (6^th)
• The highest Win Rate of the field belongs to #1 Sacred Elixir (56%) followed by #3 Swear (u50%), #6 Inference (50%), #8 Silvera (50%) and #12 Highlad (50%)
• The highest Place Rate of the field belongs to #18e Anaheim (100%) followed by #6 Inference (83%), #2 Prized Icon (75%), #3 Swear (75%), #8 Silver (75%) and #12 Highlad (75%)
• #9 Wine Bush (1-1-0-0) is the only previous winners at the track (Flemington)

Other Victoria Derby Historical Facts to Consider:

• #1 Sacred Elixir is out to be the first Victoria Derby winner to come through a J.J. Atkins run (the previous winter) since Mahogany won both races in 1993
• The last JJ Atkins winner to run in a Victoria Derby field was Show A Heart (12^th in 2000)
• #2 Prized Icon is out to be the first horse to complete the Champagne Stakes / VRC Derby interstate double since Red Anchor (1984)
• Arena (1998) is the latest Victoria Derby winner to have run in the autumn’s Champagne Stakes
• The last Champagne Stakes winner – until Prized Icon this weekend – to line-up in the Derby was Onemorenomore (6^th in 2009) who was also the last 2YO Group 1 winner to run in the VRC Derby since 2002

Check out the full 2016 Victoria Derby Form Guide below before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au for access to the best weekend spring racing odds and offers!