Racing: Now for the Victoria Derby

Mackadoo (fourth from left) fights on gamely to win the Le Pine Funerals Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday. Photo / Getty Images

Cambridge colt Mackadoo showed he was a serious Victoria Derby contender when he stuck on well to hold out the favourite, Altius, over 1700m at Caulfield.

Trained by Murray and Bjorn Baker at Cambridge, the son of High Chaparral was having just his fourth start and second in Australia in Saturday's Le Pine Funerals Handicap.

Ridden by Michael Rodd, Mackadoo ($10) raced back off the leader Seventh Bullet before dashing clear in the straight to score by three-quarters of a length from topweight Altius ($2.10 fav), with Pitt Street ($6.50) a long neck away third.

"He's a bit fat at the moment but he's improved a lot in the last two weeks. We've been swimming him and really dishing it up to him," Murray Baker said.

The trainer said the colt missed a bit of work before running seventh to Hollowlea in the Henry Bucks Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on September 4.

"I think there is a bit of improvement in him and he is out of an [New Zealand] Oaks winner Staring so we hope he gets a trip," Baker said.

Baker said Mackadoo was bought out of a paddock as a yearling.

"I did train the mother, she won the Oaks. She hasn't left much so we're hoping this is the one," he said. Rodd recalled after the win that it was Baker who gave him his first group one winner, aboard Prized Gem in the 2002 Brisbane Cup (3200m) at Eagle Farm.

"Murray was very disappointed with his run at Flemington when he raced like a flat horse but he was only fresh off the plane," Rodd said.

"He was a lot more confident today. He said 'I reckon I've got him near right' and he's so adaptable and there wasn't much speed early so I just put him up there and he switched off and put his head down.

"But when it was time to get moving he slowly picked up and when I wanted him to increase he had that good turn of foot.

"He's on the way to the Derby and I think he'll get there as long as he stays sound."

The magnificently-bred colt Altius, by Redoute's Choice out of Circles Of Gold, the dam of Elvstroem and Haradasun, was game in defeat, coming from last on the home turn for second and giving the winner a 3.5kg weight advantage.

The pair will next clash in the UCI Stakes (1800m) at Flemington on October 2 on the way to the A$1.5 million Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on October 30.

Later on the day, jockey Steven Arnold sounded an ominous warning to So You Think's Cox Plate rivals after his Underwood Stakes win, saying the defending champion would only get better.

So You Think, sent out $1.85 favourite, followed on from his impressive first-up win in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield late last month with a 2-length victory over Dariana ($31) to give Bart Cummings the quinella. Metal Bender ($8) was a short half-head away third.

"He's an awesome horse," Arnold said on Saturday.

"He just does a lot to please you. I just think he needed that today. He's come on since his first-up run and I think he'll be better for that run."

The talk of the track now is that Cummings will try to do a Saintly with So You Think and aim for the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup double, and Arnold doesn't doubt that he could do it.

"I wouldn't put it past him. Once he's had the runs under his belt if he drops his head and draws a gate and just canters along behind I think he would have a pretty good burst of speed," he said.

- AAP