The Victoria Derby is beginning to take shape with the promise of one of the most interesting fields of recent years.

Among the main contenders Savvy Nature turned in a good classic trial when he won the Mitchelton Wines Vase at Moonee Valley.

The Vase was the last roll of the dice for those that had designs of running in the Derby; Savvy Nature has a bit on those that opposed him at Moonee Valley on Saturday last.

There was a lot to like about his win in the Vase, he won it like a stayer should, settling down at the rear of the field finishing the race right off.

The Sydney trained three year old looks to be well above the locals, of those Polanski makes most appeal; he has won over 1800 metres at Flemington, and 2000 metres at Caulfield.

Darley’s colt, Complacent, will go into the race without having previously raced in Melbourne.

 Savvy Nature wins the Vase impressively

Edgar Britt who earned fame and fortune as a jockey celebrated his 100^th birthday yesterday.

He was apprenticed to Mick Polson at Randwick at the time of the great depression, and the era of Phar Lap.

He later travelled with Polson when he took Winooka to the west cost of America for a series of match races.

Britt didn’t ride Winooka in any of the match races, nor did he get many on his return, there was a wealth of top jockeys in Sydney in that era.

There was an old quote; if an owner threw his colours into the jockey’s room he wouldn’t complain who picked them up.

It didn’t take long for Britt to realise that while India was then under British rule, racing was flourishing, there was big money to be made.

Britt fell into a lucrative position as first rider for the wealthy Maharaja of Baroda, he maintained big stables in both India, and Newmarket, in England.

He won seven classics in the U K, the first on Sayajiroa in the St Leger for the Maharaja, trained by Sam Armstrong.

The St Leger followed the next year when he won on Black Tarquin, raced by William Woodard and trained by Cecil Boyd-Rochfort.

Britt accepted a retainer to ride for the Boyd-Rochfort Stable, it proved a great association resulting in a number of winners.

A super run and a super ride saw a maiden performer in Shamus Award, and apprentice Chad Schofield, combine to win racing’s prestigious prize, the Cox Plate.

At least he wasn’t your average maiden performer, his form line was far from forlorn, from nine starts he had finished among the placegetters seven times, with five of those placings at Black Type level.

Furthermore, he was not your average outsider, Foreteller, who had claimed a victory over Puissance De Lune in the Makybe Diva Stakes started at the same price $ 21.

The race suffered a severe blow; the magical theatre of the race was missing with the unfortunate scratching of Atlantic Jewel, as if the leading lady failed to show up on the opening night.

However, the Cox Plate win, shared by Flemington trainer, Danny O’Brien, and a highly promising young jockey in Chad Schofield, he was unfazed by the occasion.

“He has always been a high class colt, after we drew a good gate our confidence soared, a few things didn’t go his way in the Guineas and the Stutt Stakes, he was in great order, he had the perfect preparation to go to the 2040 metres with 49.5 on his back, he was going to be aggressive with Chad giving him a peach of a ride,” said Danny O’Brien.

“He controlled the tempo for the first half and was able to quicken the pace thereafter, with a head to spare when the post was reached, is all that matters,” he added.

Shamus Award winning the Cox Plate 

After drawing a good barrier and beginning well it didn’t take long for Schofield to get his mount one off the fence, passing the winning post the first time round.

Puissance De Lune was prominent as was Long John, Fiorente had been able to get over quickly from his wide gate but It’s A Dundeel didn’t enjoy the same luck, he was in no man’s land going out of the straight.

It was now a matter of how long Shamus Award could control the traffic, Super Cool had taken up a handy position with Blake Shinn giving Fiorente the run of the race, Puissance De Lune was now back in the ruck and It’s A Dundeel was still wide out with the job in front of him.

Positions didn’t alter to any extent, Shamus Award continued to hold sway, he was never headed at any stage, he travelled well as if he was in his comfort zone.

The odds were always going to be against the favourite, It’s A Dundeel, he drew wide and that is where he was going to be, he never saw the rail at any stage.

Puissance De Lune reefed and pulled early, once he stopped pulling he stopped racing, he was short in his action on returning to scale and may well have run his last race.

There was only one genuine hard luck story to come out of the race, had Happy Trails secured a run sooner than he did, the result may have been reversed.

Chad Schofield was riding the perfect race for one so young; having his first ride in the Cox Plate, on returning to scale his master, David Hayes, gave him the seal of approval.

Danny O'Brien and Chad Schofield with the coveted trophy

Arthur Ward, among the most successful jockeys of the fifties and sixties, passed away recently in Perth aged 94.

Ward was almost an institution during that time; he was closely connected to the stable of the late Tommy Smith, at Randwick.

He won the Caulfield Cup on Rising Fast in 1954, it was a case of being in the right place at the right time, his mount, Engraver, was a late scratching, as a result he was left without a ride in the race.

The fortunes of racing can quickly change, Bill Williamson was to ride Rising Fast in the Caulfield Cup; however he was involved in a serious fall from Impeller in the Thousand Guineas, the other two horses to fall were Scottish Circle, ridden by Ted Preston and Sweet Adaline, who had the services of Neville Sellwood. ,

Ward was engaged as the substitute jockey for Rising Fast, and he duly won, starting favourite at 7-4, but owner, Leicester Spring, was far from happy claiming the rider disobeyed riding instructions as he went too early, Jack Purtell was the replacement rider for the remainder of that spring.

Arthur Ward was the toast of Flemington in 1957, riding four Group I winners, the Sires Produce Stakes on Tulloch, the Newmarket on Kings Fair, St Leger on Summalu and the Queen’s Cup on Redcraze.

The benefit of having a run under her belt paid dividends for Adelaide trained filly Silversands, the narrow winner of the Inglis Banner at Moonee Valley.

After a $35,000 purchase at the Sydney Classic Sale, in January, the filly is showing connections a handsome profit having returned $153,000 already in prize money.

She had an advantage on many of the other runners having had race experience; she finished third to Duckworth at Morphettville.

Whilst the margin was not great she showed a ton of courage coming from a fair way back on the home turn.

Race experience again proved it is a great advantage, particularly in two year old races as it has done so often.

Basically it was the prize money that encouraged Richard Jolly to bring his filly, Silversands, over to Melbourne to share in the money on offer.

On that run she will be back here again to take on the Melbourne juveniles in the Maribyrnong Plate at Flemington.

Cornrow showed a good turn of foot, Mick Price thought he might have been a bit over the top, he will be put away immediately, the Blue Diamond has been ear marked for him.

Silversands is by the American bred sire Dudleo, he stands along side of More Than Ready, both are located at Vinery Stud in the Hunter Valley

Adelaide filly Silversands wins at Moonee Valley.