Manzoice takes out Group 1 Victoria Derby at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne

Manzoice has won the time-honoured $2million Victoria Derby at Flemington on Saturday afternoon after a stunning final furlong.

Veteran hoop Michael Dee piloted the three-year-old colt home at the handy odds of $21 (TAB.com.au with a devastating turn of foot, nabbing himself the Caulfield Cup-Victoria Derby Derby double. 

With the well-backed Sharp ‘n’ Smart seeming to have the Derby sewn up, Dee ran down the favourite in the shadows of the post to win by a head, with huge outsider Aberfeldie Boy finishing in third at the whopping place price of $15.

It was a stunning finish to the race that looked to be yet another Group 1 winner for Australia’s top jockey James McDonald – but Dee was confident in the way his mount would run through the line. 

‘If you said to me before this Spring that I would have won two major Group 1 races, I would probably laugh. It is pretty surreal, and hopefully it can continue,’ a beaming Dee said on the Channel 10 broadcast after the race.

‘Thankfully they had a decent tempo up front but gradually he was able to build, to lengthen, to quicken all the way down the street. His stamina really came into it, just as the others were feeling the pinch. He was able to let it down.

‘It is unbelievable. I really have to think Chris Waller and his team. Once again, he has presented this horse here in tiptop shape. 

‘Walking around the yard, I thought he is certainly a Derby type of horse. He is just so calm, he has such a big stride on him, and when it all came down to it, very strong,’ said Dee. 

The three-year-old colt scorched home down the outside to beat Sharp ‘n’ Smart

The 2500m Group 1 race has an incredible list of winners over its 167-year history – and Manzoice is just the latest in that illustrious group.

More to come…