The Damien Oliver attracts capacity field

Vilana will be partnered by the man himself in the inaugural running of The Damien Oliver.

The inaugural running of The Damien Oliver (1400m) has attracted a capacity field of 16 runners for the $500,000 race at Flemington.

Registered as the Chatham Stakes, Saturday’s Group 2 race has been renamed to honour retiring superstar jockey Damien Oliver.

Oliver won the race in 2011 aboard the John Sadler-trained Sister Madley and will be looking to add another win when he partners Godolphin’s Vilana (+600) this weekend.

Having finished fifth behind I Am Me in the Group 3 Sydney Stakes (1200m) on October 14, Vilana comes to Flemington second-up and will carry 59kg as the topweight.

Godolphin holds a strong hand in The Damien Oliver, with last-start Listed Paris Lane Stakes (1400m) winner Tamerlane hunting his maiden Group success.

Horse racing betting sites have installed the six-year-old gelding as a +280 favourite.

Tamerlane brings genuine Group 1 form lines to Flemington, having chased home subsequent Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) winner, Rediener, first-up from a spell on September 16 in the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m).

The only other runner with a single-figure quote is Here To Shock at +850.

The Ben, Will & JD Hayes-trained runner took Antino to a long neck in the Group 3 Sandown Stakes (1500m) two runs back, before being outclassed in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) last time out.

Dropping back in grade, Here To Shock will be partnered by Daniel Stackhouse from barrier four.

The Damien Oliver is the final race at Flemington on Saturday afternoon, closing a stacked VRC Derby Day card.

The Damien Oliver 2023 Field

No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight
1	Vilana	James Cummings	Damien Oliver	9	59kg
2	King Magnus	Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock	Thomas Stockdale	8	57.5kg
3	Bandersnatch	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Jordan Childs	6	57kg
4	Ayrton	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	Mark Zahra	17	56.5kg
5	Tamerlane	James Cummings	James McDonald	1	56.5kg
6	Zoutori	Mathew Ellerton	Linda Meech	3	56.5kg
7	Corner Pocket	Lindsey Smith	Declan Bates	13	56kg
8	Munhamek	Nick Ryan	Blake Shinn	18	55.5kg
9	Not An Option	Mike Moroney	Billy Egan	16	55kg
10	Here To Shock	Ben, Will & JD Hayes	Daniel Stackhouse	4	54.5kg
11	Savannah Cloud	Phillip Stokes	Zac Spain	12	54.5kg
12	Kalino	Chris Waller	Jye McNeil	10	54kg
13	Swords Drawn	Mike Moroney	Winona Costin	2	53.5kg
14	Williamsburg	Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou	Rachel King	14	53kg
15	Lord Vladivostok	Michael Hickmott	TBC	5	53kg
16	Jack The Lad	Wayne Francis & Glen Kent	Justin Potter	11	53kg
17	Cause For Concern (1E)	Shawn Mathrick	Jamie Kah	7	53kg
18	Zennzella (2E)	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	TBC	15	53kg