Derby double sought
Saturday’s New Zealand Derby winner Vin De Dance will be given the chance to follow in the hoof prints of Mongolian Khan.
Murray Baker, who trains in partnership with Andrew Forsman, has won four Australian Derby’s but he hopes to make it five on April 7.
The Cambridge training partnership won the Australian Derby in 2017 with Jon Snow and they also trained Mongolian Khan to the New Zealand and Australian Derby double in 2015. Baker previously won the race with It’s A Dundeel (2013) and Nom Du Jeu (2008) before the partnership with Forsman commenced.
Baker confirmed on Sunday that Vin De Dance will head to Sydney as he and Forsman plan a trans-Tasman Derby assault.
He will be joined in Australia by Mission Hill - who ran a luckless sixth in the Derby on Saturday - Weather With You, Gundown and Mongolian Marshal - who won over 1600m at Ellerslie on Saturday.
The A$2,000,000 ($2,144,500 NZD) Australian Derby will be the main target but with a direct flight from Sydney to Adelaide, Baker said there was a strong chance that one or more of the five could instead head south for the A$600,000 ($643,350 NZ) South Australian Derby on May 12.
‘‘If they can stay you have to have a go, they are only three once,’’ Baker said.
Vin De Dance’s victory in the $1 million Derby at Ellerslie was a deserving reward for his patient owners that include Australian syndication giant OTI.
A winner on debut at Counties, Vin De Dance went onto run a pair of seconds at Te Rapa before heading to Melbourne last spring for a crack at the Victoria Derby.
In two starts he ran a third and a fifth in top three-year-old races at Caulfield and Moonee Valley but the Baker-Forsman camp elected to pull him out of the Derby.
Champion jockey Damien Oliver, who rode him in both starts, was of the opinion the horse had plenty of promise but needed more time to develop.
‘‘He was just a big raw horse and was very green," Baker said. "He (Oliver) told us that he just needed more time. He told us he was an autumn horse and he’s proven to be dead right,’’ Baker said.
A son of Roc De Cambes out of Explosive Dancer, who was perfectly ridden by Jason Waddell on Saturday, Vin De Dance has been a big improver since the spring.
He was in Sydney to watch Francaletta run a gutsy third in the Group II Guy Walter Stakes and Baker was thrilled with the run where she was forced to use plenty of gas in the early going.
‘‘She drew the outside and she had to work hard. They don’t let you just cross and lead over there.’’
Baker is expecting improvement leading into the Group I Coolmore Classic on March 17 but said it will not be easy.
‘‘It’s going to be a really hot race. There’s some outstanding fillies and mares over there.’’
● Chris Johnson is pinning his Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks hopes on Savvy Coup.
The champion jockey’s agent John Tannahill has confirmed he will ride the Michael and Matthew Pitman-trained filly in the classic in a fortnight’s time.
Johnson rode the daughter of Savabeel to a last-start victory in the Gr.3 Lowland Stakes at Hastings which has her the current $3.50 favourite for the feature at Trentham.
The 53-year-old jockey also had the option of riding Contessa Vanessa after he won the Gr.3 McKee Family Sunline Vase (2100m) on the Bullbars filly at Ellerslie on Saturday, but has opted to continue his association with Savvy Coup.
She is the current Oaks favourite at $3.50 while the Team Rogerson-prepared Contessa Vanessa has shortened in to $6.