Sharp ‘N’ Smart Heads 2022 Victoria Derby Field & Betting

October 26, 2022

Sharp ‘N’ Smart Heads 2022 Victoria Derby Field & Betting

The Graeme & Deborah Rogerson-trained Sharp ‘N’ Smart heads a bumper 2022 Victoria Derby field on the quick back-up chasing the interstate Group 1 double this weekend at Flemington Racecourse.

Sharp 'N' Smart | Photo: Steve Hart | Races.com.au

Impressive Spring Champion Stakes winner in Sydney, Sharp ‘N’ Smart, is favourite in the 2022 Victoria Derby markets in Melbourne this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.

Last Saturday the flying son of Redwood had no luck in Sydney’s Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m), but still managed to come away victorious.

He is now out to extend his winning streak to four on the trot heading south for the time-honoured Group 1 $2 million Penfolds Victoria Derby (2500m) on the opening day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival at headquarters.

Ace High (2017) was the last three-year-old to complete the Spring Champion – VRC Derby double.

Co-trainer Graeme Rogerson all but declared Sharp ‘N’ Smart the Derby winner straight after last Saturday’s success, confident his horse will run out the 2500m distance no worries.

An ideal barrier three draw and the booking of last weekend’s Cox Plate winning jockey James McDonald further boosts this horse’s chances.

Sharp ‘N’ Smart currently occupies the second line of Victoria Derby betting at $3.60 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

Just above him at Victoria Derby odds of $3.30 is another last start winner on the quick back-up, the Dan O’Sullivan-trained Berkeley Square.

Craig Williams chases his first VRC Derby win since Kibbutz (2007) and continues his ace association with this in-form Territories gelding.

After a fourth only a half-length off Golden Mile in the Group 1 $3 million Caulfield Guineas (1600m) two back, Berkeley Square was good from gate five on Cox Plate Day in the wet winning the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) on a Heavy (8).

He’ll need to be good racing on successive Saturdays up in distance, but gets the run of the race from gate five again and is getting plenty of early love from the punters.

The Derby is always a terrific betting race and there are two other runners at single-figures this spring with Mr Maestro at $5.50 and Pericles at $8 for the Godolphin stable.

The airborne Andrew Forsman-trained Kiwi Mr Maestro is drawn the outside barrier in a 16-starter field, but brings in some top form having won his past three on the bounce.

Damian Lane rides the nicely-bred Savabeel colt in place of the horse’s last start hoop Harry Coffey who rode him to a photo-finish win in the Group 3 Neds Classic (2000m) on Caulfield Cup Day.

Prior to that Lane rode the horse four times in Melbourne going back to August 7 including for back-to-back 1800m wins at Flemington on a Heavy (10) and Good (3) showing off the three-year-old’s versatility.

The James Cummings-trained Pericles meanwhile is drawn a treat in barrier six.

He has English hoop William Buick, in town for the Melbourne Cup ride on British raider Without A Fight, in the saddle and is racing for just the fourth time.

The Street Boss gelding won on debut at Newcastle in September and is already into a Group 1 field.

He was solid on a Heavy (10) at Randwick two back when second in the $500,000 Tapp-Craig (1400m) before a third under a length off Berkeley Square in the Vase last weened.

The 2022 Victoria Derby runs as Flemington Race 7 on Saturday’s nine-race card with a jump time of 4:20pm (AEDT).

Click here for the latest Victoria Derby 2022 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2022 Victoria Derby Final Field & Barrier Draw

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 2124×111 SHARP ’N’ SMART (NZ) Graeme & Deborah Rogerson James McDonald 3 57kg 106
2 1×21141 BERKELEY SQUARE Dan O’Sullivan Craig Williams 5 57kg 96
3 1134×5052 LET’SROLLTHEDICE Danny O’Brien Ben Melham 7 57kg 85
4 x513x54111 MR MAESTRO (NZ) Andrew Forsman Damian Lane 17 57kg 84
5 123 PERICLES James Cummings William Buick 6 57kg 78
6 5×94151 GRAND PIERRO Jason Warren Mark Zahra 15 57kg 75
7 21928 MANZOICE Chris Waller Michael Dee 8 57kg 67
8 21×4720 FOUJITA SAN Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Jye McNeil 9 57kg 77
9 45x01x07 SKYPHIOS Rob Blacker Harry Coffey 14 57kg 68
10 172 MURAMASA Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young Daniel Moor 4 57kg 78
11 32x938x444 FEARLESS KNIGHT Kacy Fogden Brett Prebble 11 57kg 64
12 23535 BERARDINO Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young Damien Oliver 10 57kg 66
13 3413 DISTRUSTFUL AWARD Paul Preusker Dean Yendall 12 57kg 70
14 032431 HIGHLAND BLAZE Jackson Pallot Liam Riordan 13 57kg 58
15 2×803 KING’S CROSSING (NZ) Danny O’Brien John Allen 16 57kg 64
16 641 LEHNDORFF Mark Newnham Joshua Parr 1 57kg 62
17e 324 ABERFELDIE BOY Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock 2 57kg 62

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

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