In a vintage season for sprinting three-year-olds, the race assembles Blue Diamond winner Extreme Choice and Golden Rose winner Astern.

Add to them the now more mature ones at three like Star Turn, Russian Revolution and Flying Artie and you probably have one of the best, if not the best, fields ever assembled in the race.

Golden Rose winner Astern comes into the race as the highest rated colt in the race with a figure of 126, closely followed by both Extreme Choice and Star Turn on 124 and Russian Revolution on 120 and Flying Artie on 115p.

Golden Slipper winner Capitalist has struggled to regain his two-year-old 122 Timeform rating and is currently running to 115p.

The straight course can bring young gallopers undone as we saw last year with Exosphere. However the biased track contributed more to his defeat than the straight track.

Assuming the straight offers no concerns, Astern gets the opportunity to redeem himself here after an unlucky narrow defeat last start at the hands of Russian Revolution in the Stan Fox Stakes at Randwick. On that occasion he made up several lengths from back in the field when many gallopers on the day failed to do so.

Astern has trialled in impressive fashion down the straight and if he can reproduce his electrifying turn of foot in the closing stages that we saw in the Golden Rose, then he will take holding out.

Extreme Choice was brilliant winning the Blue Diamond at two and equally so winning the G1 Moir Stakes against older horses at his first run at three.

Extreme Choice is an adaptable type who has scope for further improvement. From barrier three, Craig Newitt should have options to put him in the right position from the start.

The speedy Star Turn has really matured this preparation winning the San Domenico Stakes first up before being caught late by Astern in the Run To The Rose.

After a 42 day break, Star Turn bolted in against older sprinters in the G2 Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield over 1100m and should strip fitter again.

Star Turn will take plenty of running down while Flying Artie will improve sharply on his Blue Sapphire win however Astern and Extreme Choice rate as the principal chances in a what is shaping to be an epic battle.

Timeform Preview – 2016 Victoria Derby

Kiwi galloper Sacred Elixir rounded off his Derby preparation with a solid win the last Saturday’s Vase at Moonee Valley and should now be right at his peak for this assignment.

A winner of five of his nine starts, Sacred Elixir raced well in Brisbane during the Winter Carnival impressively winning the G1 J J Atkins Stakes over 1600m at Eagle Farm.

The Victoria Derby has been the long term goal for Sacred Elixir since that win and this preparation has been timed for him to peak this afternoon.

Secret Elixir has rated consistently in all three runs back this campaign, winning first up in the Guineas Prelude (1400m) then having little luck in the G1 Caulfield Guineas behind Divine Prophet.

Last Saturday Sacred Elixir with blinkers off proved too good for the Vase Stakes field at Moonee Valley over 2040m running to a new career peak Timeform rating of 117 making him the highest rated runner in today’s field.

Like all runners in this afternoon’s race, Sacred Elixir is unproven at the 2500m but being by English Derby winner Pour Moi, he should have less concerns than some of his rivals.

Last year’s Victoria Derby winner Tarzino also came off the Vase as his lead up race but did have one additional run under his belt before tackling the Derby.

Sacred Elixir will go into the Derby with just three lead up runs whereas the average over the last 11 years is just over four.

In that period however there have been two winners who like Sacred Elixir came off just three lead up races – Monaco Consul (2009) and Benecio (2005).

If successful today, Sacred Elixir will join Mahogany (in 1993) as the only horses to have completed the Atkins Stakes – Victoria Derby double since that race was first introduced in 1976.

The main dangers to Sacred Elixir on Timeform ratings are Prized Icon and Swear.

A winner of the ATC Champagne Stakes over 1600m at two, Prized Icon has not quite reached that Timeform rating at three, currently running two pounds lower.

However it is fair to say he has not enjoyed the best of luck in recent runs. Three back he was blocked for clear running in the Gloaming Stakes at Rosehill then was held up for clear running in the straight when a close third to crack filly Yankee Rose in the G1 Champion Stakes at Randwick.

Then last start, his first in Melbourne, Prized Icon missed the start before finishing off well behind Sacred Elixir in the Vase.

No doubt Prized Icon will be well suited by the larger Flemington course but if successful will join a select group of horses to have won the Champagne Stakes – Victoria Derby double. In the last 70 years just three horses have taken the double – Red Anchor (1984), Sky High (1960) and Magnificent (1945).

Fellow Sydney galloper Swear has a similar profile to Prized Icon also coming through both the Gloaming Stakes and ATC Champion Stakes and has a slightly higher Timeform rating of 116p coming into the Derby today.

Last start with winkers on for the first time, Swear looked all over a winner until Yankee Rose emerged from the clouds to grab him right on the line.

Swear is relatively inexperienced compared to other runners in the race as he has only started four times but in those few starts has shown plenty of ability.

Swear will be fourth run back from a spell today and will join Monaco Consul as the last horse to use the Champion Stakes as their final lead up to the Derby.

Morvada and So Si Bon are late bloomers on the scene both running well in last week’s Vase and are showing improvement in their Timeform ratings profile while Rocketeer and Geelong Classic winner Captain Duffy also have claims on recent runs.

Enjoy an excellent Derby renewal.

Timeform Preview – 2016 Cantala Stakes

The move to bring the Cantala Stakes forwards by a week and onto Derby Day sees the Epsom perfectly placed as a key lead up and the Chris Waller-trained Mackintosh shapes as the one most likely to take advantage.

The Epsom was a hard run contest this year and so Mackintosh’s effort to be beaten in the final strides when just second up was hugely meritorious.

Mackintosh has now returned to new peak Timeform ratings this campaign, his Epsom run rated 116, and he should continue to build on that figure given he has had just ten starts – winning six of them.

A month between runs off that tough effort looks ideal and he won’t have to improve much on his Epsom run to be in the thick of the action at Flemington.

Joao Moreira switches back aboard after winning the Theo Marks on Mackintosh first up and can only be seen as a positive given his record with Chris Waller in feature races.

Moreira isn’t the only Hong Kong connection in the race. Thunder Fantasy is a Group 1 winner in Hong Kong and he made a terrific return to Australian racing when landing a Randwick handicap first up for Anthony Cummings last month.

It may not have been a feature race but Thunder Fantasy’s effort rated highly and he looks like measuring right up to the Cantala Stakes field on the back of that. The fact that the Anthony Cummings yard have been flying of late is another tick for Thunder Fantasy who looks a good each way gamble around the 20-1 mark.

He’s Our Rokki went to a new peak rating of 120 in a Caulfield handicap two back and repeated that performance to win the Toorak impressively last time. He looked to have much more to offer winning for the fifth time in as many starts there and while the Cantala looks a race of far greater depth he holds strong claims once again.

The chances run deep away from that trio. The United States won well last week and is capable of peaking sharply on the back up while Stratum Star and Good Project ran nice races over 1400m at Caulfield and can come back to their best up to the mile third run back.

Timeform Preview – 2016 Myer Stakes

The Kris Lees-trained Danish Twist is on an upward spiral that might land her at the head of Saturday’s Group 1 Myer Classic at Flemington.

Just six months ago Danish Twist produced a new peak Timeform rating of 95p to win the Provincial Championship, a win that seemingly set her alight. She quickly put three more wins on the board and finished her campaign rated 108p.

A few months off haven’t halted Danish Twist’s progress. She returned in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes and again went to a new level – her close up effort earning her a rating of 114p.

That was a fast run race and the winner Takedown and runner up Our Boy Malachi have subsequently come out and advertised the value of that form.

Danish Twist didn’t match her best in the key lead-up to the Myer, finishing on the heels of the placegetters in the Tristarc at Caulfield, but a wide barrier and a headwind saw her concede plenty of ground early and her effort to get as close as she did was full or merit.

The mile is a new frontier for Danish Twist on Saturday but Timeform ratings point to her being better than ever and if she does stay the trip she looks a fantastic chance at each way odds.

First Seal represents her biggest obstacle after winning the Tristarc and returning a rating of 117. It’s easy to envisage her repeating or even making slight improvement on that form third up at the mile and so she sets the a lofty bar for Danish Twist to clear.

The Tristarc looks the key formline, with Pearls another worth considering through that race, and that form ties in with Angst Stakes winner Dixie Blossoms who had been alongside Tristarc runner up Tycoon Tara when placed in the Golden Pendant at Rosehill.

She has since come out and won the Angst Stakes at a mile, returning a Timeform rating of 114, and that has her well set up to run to her best in the Myer.

Don’t Doubt Mamma brings another formline all together and she is high up in early markets for the Myer.

Her wins in the Let’s Elope Stakes and the Stocks Stakes returned an identical Timeform rating of 108p – her big closing burst the signature of both wins.

If the Myer is slowly run and becomes a sprint home then her chances would be greatly enhanced.

The early speed looks to come from the three-year-olds, of which Whispering Brook appeals most. She was good in the Guineas and should be allowed to run with her light weight against the older mares.

It’s no easy task for her to see these off but she is speedy and her Timeform rating of 113 puts her in the mix.