Kiwi out to end drought

TUTUKAKA moved closer to breaking a 10-year drought for Kiwi-trained stayers in the Victoria Derby, after a strong win in Wednesday’s Geelong Classic.

Sangster was the last New Zealand-trained Derby winner when he prevailed for the now Cranbourne-based Trent Busuttin in 2011. Tutukaka also has a tough family standard to live up to as a half-brother to star mare Melody Belle, the winner of 12 Group 1 races in her 41-start career.

Tutukaka stayed at double-figure odds at $15 in TAB’s Victoria Derby market, despite displaying a sharp turn of foot late in the 2200m Geelong Classic.

Tutukaka raced on the speed at his last run in the Listed Super Impose Stakes over 1800m at Flemington, but trainer Tony Pike and jockey Damian Lane (pictured) decided on different tactics for the longer trip.

Pike also removed the blinkers from Tutukaka for his first race beyond 2000m.

Lane took Tutukaka back in the field before improving into the race from the 700m.

The son of Tavistock sprinted impressively to win by three-quarters of a length.