2022 Victoria Derby preview & betting strategy | October 29

The time-honoured Group 1 Victoria Derby is the feature event on Saturday’s nine-race program out of Flemington and a capacity field of 16 stayers will be looking to etch their name alongside some of the great stayers of years gone past.

Online betting sites have this year’s event down to three key chances with last start Spring Champion Stakes winner Sharp ‘N’ Smart ($4) heading the market, whilst Berkeley Square ($4.20) and Mr Maestro ($6) all demmed the ones to get past. Pericles ($8) is the only other runner at a single figure quote ahead of the Derby.

The speed in the race looks to come from rank outsiders Highland Blaze and Lehndorff with the likes of Pericles and Berkeley Square expected to settle in a prominent position early. Having drawn the widest barrier, Mr Maestro is expected to settle towards the rear of the field alongside Grand Pierro.

Continue reading for HorseBetting’s free preview and $100 betting strategy for the 2022 Victoria Derby.

Having won the Derby Trial and then again in the Group 2 Caulfield Classic, the Andrew Forsman-trained Mr Maestro seems the logical on top selection in the VRC Derby. The Kiwi was forced to do a stack of work from the rear of the field in the Caulfield Classic when needing to make his run 800m out from home but was still good enough to hold off Muramasa in the shadows of the winning post. He has shown he can be tactically versatile and can win on rain-affected ground or firmer going. From the widest barrier, Damian Lane will have no other option but to go back towards the rear of the field and make his move approaching the home turn. He looks like he will stay all day and considering he has two wins from as many starts at Flemington, we know he will handle the occasion. The $6 with online bookmakers looks a perfect price to load into for the one-time all-in favourite for the Victoria Derby.

The Dan O’Sullivan-trained Berkeley Square was nothing short of impressive when claiming the Moonee Valley Vase on October 22 and on the quick back-up is sure to have him look like the winner at one point or another on Saturday. The Territories gelding produced the best last 200m of the Cox Plate Day meeting which is an extraordinary effort considering some of the races we saw. From the low draw of barrier five, Craig Williams will look to have this bloke settled in a prominent position throughout the Derby and with clear air at a crucial point, Berkeley Square will have a tactical advantage over most of his rivals and would be a deserving winner based on what he has produced thus far.

Sharp ‘N’ Smart was forced to travel three wide with no cover in his last start victory in the Spring Champion Stakes and looks a key hope in the VRC Derby based on his want to get out over 2500m, it is just whether that tough run took it out of him. Grand Pierro was a nice winner of the Geelong Classic, whilst Piracles doesn’t need to improve too much from his third in the Moonee Valley Vase to be competitive in this.

The market may have it down to three key chances, but there are a couple at an each-way price that cases can be made for.

2022 VRC Derby selections & best bets

• 4

  MR MAESTRO

• 2

  BERKELEY SQUARE

• 1

  SHARP ‘N’ SMART

• 6

  GRAND PIERRO

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