KEY POINTS:
Phar Lap
More than 60,000 were at Flemington in 1929 to watch the immortal Phar Lap demolish his rivals in the Victoria Derby.
The big chestnut arrived at the course late, accompanied by a police guard after rumours that some-one might try to "get at" the geld-ing.
There were also whispers all was not well with Phar Lap's health but that didn't stop him opening in the betting at 1-4 before being backed to 1-5 and starting at 2-9.
Jockey Jim Pike said Phar Lap was slow away because he wasn't used to a walk-up start and the field got a bit of a break on him at the barrier in the mile-and-a-half (2400m) event.
"At the mile-and-a-quarter (2000m) I let him go a bit faster," Pike said. "Then he went up on the outside of two horses. From that point the race was not in doubt."
That's how it proved with "Big Red" bounding away to beat Carradale by two lengths in race record time, including running his last half-mile (800m) in 47.5 seconds.
Tulloch
As far as 3-year-old seasons go, they don't come any better than Tulloch's.
The TJ Smith-trained legend had 16 starts in his classic season for 14 wins and two placings.
After winning the AJC Derby by six lengths from Prince Darius and then the Caulfield Guineas and Caulfield Cup, beating Amber and Sailor's Guide who went on to win the Washington International Stakers in America, Tulloch looked to have the Victoria Derby at his mercy.
And he did.
Poor Prince Darius was again on the receiving end, this time the victim of an eight-length thrashing as Tulloch, who started at 1-10, again reigned supreme.
Tulloch's non-participation, at his owner's behest, in the Melbourne Cup shocked the nation and the big race was won by Straight Draw - with Prince Darius second again.
Dayana
Bart Cummings was already well and truly on the way to making the Melbourne Cup his own before he was able to win his first Victoria Derby.
Dayana broke the ice in 1972 and went on to become the first of the maestro's nine Australian Racehorses of the Year.
The 3-year-old had already won the South Australian Derby and didn't rest on his laurels after Flemington, going on to also win the Western Australian and the inaugural Australian Derby in Perth, and taking out the Perth Cup for good measure.
Dayana's win was the catalyst for Cummings to win the Victoria Derby a further four times with Taj Rossi in 1973, Stormy Rex (1977), Bounty Hawk (1983) and Omnicorp in 1987 to share the modern-day training record with the late TJ Smith.
But he has a way to go to match all-time record-holder James Scobie who prepared eight Derby winners, the last being Hua in 1937.
- AAP
