The Derby to be run at Flemington on Saturday is the oldest classic first run in 1855 six years earlier than the first Melbourne Cup.

With the early success of the Victoria Derby, within 33 years every state in Australia had a Derby, except Tasmania, they came along much later.

There was one prominent owner with a horse that had won the Classic, he remembered the horse’s name, but wasn’t sure which Derby it was.

Times have changed and so has the Derby, the best two year olds of the previous season are running in the shorter races now, plenty of opportunity with 80 per cent of our races now run at less than 1600 metres.

The sprinting horses are becoming more dominant, the syndicators love them as their business has become quite lucrative and popular.

Syndication is here to stay, that is not prediction it is a reality, formerly horses that won the Derby would most likely graduate to weight for age that rarely happens now.