Racing:Victoria Derby start point needs moving

By MIKE DILLON in MELBOURNE

The Victoria Racing Club is about to spend A$60 million on upgrading Flemington but appears to have missed one thing that definitely needs changing - the 2500m starting point at the course.

It is ridiculous to be running group one classics with a run of no more than 150m to a sharp bend out of the home straight.

But two others factors are more important.

Having essentially inexperienced Derby horses walking around behind the barriers in front of a crowd of 101,000 on Saturday was a nonsense.

It cost Mike Moroney's Davidoff any chance of winning the A$1 million Victoria Derby.

Davidoff got so stirred up by the crowd he nearly destroyed the running rail while attendants were attempting to push him and Damien Oliver into the starting stalls.

He ran his Derby race before it started.

He raced fiercely outside the leader and was beaten at the 350m.

The answer would be to shift the Flemington tie-up stalls used for trackwork back from their position behind the running rail on the bend out of the straight and build a 2400m starting chute in its place.

Even if that meant 2300m being more workable.

The traditional distance is already bastardised, so why not have 2300m.

That would give horses a long run to the first bend near the 1300m, have a quieter environment for horses at the barriers and reduce the Derby and Oaks distances by a much-needed 100m.

At this time of year the VRC should break with tradition and run the Derby and Oaks at 2000m.

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Everyone willed Damien Oliver to do well on Saturday, but it was not to be.

Wearing the riding silks of his late brother Jason, Oliver could not get a horse into the money.

But he has a big chance to change that aboard Melbourne Cup joint favourite Media Puzzle tomorrow.

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Kaapstad Way's nightmare run of luck continued when he went amiss in a leg on Friday.

He was pulled out of Saturday's Mackinnon Stakes and the Melbourne Cup tomorrow.

"There is swelling and he's got a suspensory problem," said co-trainer Chris Wood.

"It's a shame because everything was fine with him."

Wood and wife Colleen produced Hello Dolly in the A$400,000 Nestle Peters Classic and, as a 17-1 chance, she beat two home in a race won impressively by Sydney filly Miss Zoe.

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New Zealand has five Melbourne Cup runners tomorrow.

Distinctly Secret is by far the most highly rated at $16, followed by Prized Gem at $41, Hail and Victory Smile at $67 and Cyclades at $100.

After Saturday's Saab, rider Scott Seamer felt Cyclades would improve with the run, with the 3200m of the cup and with rain.

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New Zealand-owned Lashed turned in a slashing trial for Thursday's Oaks when she went without luck in the Wakeful Stakes (2000m) on Saturday.

She raced four and five deep for Jim Cassidy, but kept coming in the home straight and was beaten only a short head and half a head.

The jump to 2500m on Thursday should be just about ideal for the New Zealand-owned filly.