Is this year's Victorian Derby winner starting at Ruakaka tomorrow?
Toorak Tower, a last-start Ruakaka maiden winner is nominated for the VRC Derby on Saturday, October 15, at Flemington so it would be expected that he would be the logical favourite for the last race over 1600m. From the stable of Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs the Toorak Toff gelding was impressive in winning his maiden last start over 1400m. The stable has a number of good-quality 3-year-olds so Toorak Tower must have proven his capability on the track to justify a Derby nomination.
The stable's top 3-year-old could be The Soultaker who proved his ability by winning The Bonecrusher Group 3 race at Ellerslie last Saturday on very heavy track conditions.
The win of The Soultaker, now under offer to Hong Kong interests, is a further endorsement of the quality of the Tavistock Northland Breeder's Stakes.
The event is on the cusp of being upgraded from a Listed Race to a Group 3 classification. The better the future performances of horses like Heroic Valour, The Soultaker and Wyndespelle are, the greater the certainty of the upgrade for the local premium thoroughbred race.