Racing: Sheikh Mohammed hopes to retrieve Victoria Derby

Photo / Richard Robinson

MELBOURNE - A Victoria Derby win by either of the two Darley runners, Retrieve and Yulalona, will have special significance with Sheikh Mohammed slated to attend Flemington next Saturday.

Rekindled Interest's win in Saturday's AAMI Vase elevated him to A$3.30 favouritism ahead of Retrieve at A$3.70, while Yulalona remained at A$21 yesterday.

Darley's managing director, Henry Plumptre, and head trainer Peter Snowden left no doubt Yulalona was not in the race just to make up the numbers. "We think about Yulalona as a serious Derby horse. The boss will be here, there's no chance we'll be running one that doesn't have a chance," said Plumptre.

Kerrin McEvoy will ride Retrieve in the Derby at his first major meeting for many months after recuperating from a broken vertebra suffered in a race fall in June.

Josh Parr was aboard Retrieve when he went down to stablemate Erewhon in a fighting finish to the Group One Spring Champion Stakes this month while Mark Zahra rode him in the Norman Robinson at Caulfield.

Sheikh Mohammed's European Godolphin operation may have to rely on Campanologist in the Melbourne Cup with emerging stayer Holberg not certain to make the field.

- AAP