Derby Day LIVE: Melbourne Cup spot and $22m in prize money up for grabs

Derby Day – one for the racing and punting purists. It also marks the start of the four-day Flemington Spring Carnival which also includes next Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup, Thursday’s Oaks meeting (Ladies Day) before concluding on Saturday November 11 with Stakes Day.

This year’s Derby Day program promises to be a cracker with it’s three Group 1 races as well as a win-and-your-in race for the Melbourne Cup called the Lexus Archer Stakes. The Flemington meeting in Melbourne will be accompanied by a terrific card at Sydney’s Rosehill Racecourse, who will be hosting the $10m Golden Eagle.

Overall, there is $22m prizemoney up for grabs in Melbourne and Sydney this Saturday.

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The headline race of the Flemington card is the time-honoured Victoria Derby, first run in 1855. It is a gruelling 2500m test for three-year-old horses. The 2023 edition isn’t the strongest Derby field assembled, but there looks to be an exciting prospect in the form of the favourite Riff Rocket, to be ridden by James McDonald. His win in the Super Impose Stakes at this track on October 7 was the performance of a very good horse. He was beaten as a very short favourite last time out by Sunsets, but back onto Flemington will suit the Chris Waller-trained gelding.

SCHEDULE (Times in AEDT)

Race 1 @ 12:20PM — G3 Network 10 Carbine Club Stakes

Race 2 @ 1:00PM — G3 Lexus Archer Stakes

Race 3 @ 1:40PM — G3 Furphy Sprint

Race 4 @ 2:20PM — G3 Racing and Sports Rising Fast Stakes

Race 5 @ 3:00PM — G2 TAB Wakeful Stakes

Race 6 @ 3:40PM — G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes

Race 7 @ 4:20PM — G1 Penfolds Victoria Derby

Race 8 @ 5:00PM — G1 TAB Empire Rose Stakes

Race 9 @ 5:40PM — G2 The Damien Oliver

Flemington Race 7 – Group 1 Penfolds Victoria Derby – 2500 metres @ 4:20pm (AEDT)

Horse Number – Horse – Trainer – Jockey – Barrier – Weight

1. APULIA – Ben, Will & JD Hayes – Mark Zahra – 3 – 57kg

2. VERDAD – Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock – Jye McNeil – 4 – 57kg

3. AIR ASSAULT – Andrew Gluyas – Ben Allen – 6 – 57kg

4. RIFF ROCKET – Chris Waller – James McDonald – 5 – 57kg

5. SUNSETS – Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young – John Allen – 16 – 57kg

6. MAKE A CALL – Peter & Paul Snowden – Jamie Kah – 15 – 57kg

7. GOLD BULLION – Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott – Opie Bosson – 13 – 57kg

8. GATES – Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman – Luke Nolen – 14 – 57kg

9. KOSGEI – Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young – Blake Shinn – 12 – 57kg

10. BULAWAYO – Pat Carey & Harris Walker – Celine Gaudray (a) – 7 – 57kg

11. SACRED EAGLE – Symon Wilde – Jordan Childs – 2 – 57kg

12. ROGUERY – Lloyd Kennewell & Lucy Yeomans – Billy Egan – 1 – 57kg

13. MERCANTE – Nigel Blackiston – Damien Oliver – 11 – 57kg

14. TO BE FRANK – Ciaron Maher & David Eustace – Jamie Spencer – 10 – 57kg

15. WARIALDA WARRIOR – John Ramsey – Darryl McLellan – 9 – 57kg

16. TOKYO RUN – Dean Mirfin – TBA – 8 – 57kg

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