One of Australia's most successful jockeys, Steven King, certainly hasn't lost the desire for a big-time Group 1 victory.

On Saturday, King has a great chance of winning his third Victoria Derby having previously scored on Star of the Realm in 1991 and Helenus in 2002.

King and trainer Steve Richards always have felt $11 TAB Fixed Odds chance, Almindoro, would make an ideal Derby horse and it's worked out that way.

King admits the team walked away perplexed when Almindoro failed to win on debut at Geelong but since then the three-year-old has not missed a beat.

In the Norman Robinson at Caulfield, Almindoro was forced to use up a bit of energy from a wide barrier and still held on strongly to finish third behind Retrieve.

Almindoro, with another Derby contender Digital Fortress, produced a strong gallop on Tuesday at Flemington.

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IN THE words of Moe trainer, Tracey Templeton a win with Luckyi'mbarefoot in the Victoria Derby would be a dream come true.

A preparer of only a small team, Templeton says her Derby runner looks magnificent and the prospect of rain also is encouraging because Luckyi'mbarefoot has won two races on a heavy track and was placed on a slow surface.

Templeton said Luckyi'mbarefoot is a horse that needs clear running a fair way from home but her jockey Dean Holland knows the traits of the three-year-old well.

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SIMILAR to the Tracey Templeton story, Mornington trainer Pat Carey is rapt at having two live chances on Derby day at Flemington.

He'll saddle up Ulandi in the Victoria Derby and believes having drawn inside should prove to be a plus. Again if the rain does arrive that won't diminish the chances of Ulandi, either.

Carey also has Cedarberg in the Lexus and, while he has one eye on the future with the promising stayer, he would love to have a runner in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. With a win in the Ansett Classic and a fighting second to Linton in the Herbert Power, Carey's high opinion of Cedarberg certainly is working out.

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TALENTED filly Sistine Angel has been freshened up for her tilt at the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington. Since having a wide run all of the way in the Thousand Guineas, Sistine Angel's work has been restricted to short sharp gallops by her trainer, Andrew Noblet. As a result of her latest hit-out on Tuesday, the filly is in great order. She has drifted to $12 in TAB Fixed Odds betting.

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NEW ZEALAND trainer Graeme Boyd is aware of the task he's set Ginga Dude by tackling the Group One Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington but he feels the horse never has been better. While many punters couldn't believe their eyes when Ginga Dude won the David Jones Cup at Caulfield, Boyd was even more surprised that the horse led virtually all the way. Boyd says Ginga Dude should be collecting some prize money on Saturday.

Because I won't get another chance before Tuesday's Melbourne Cup and I realise the weather could change the fortunes of runners in the big race, I'm predicting a Shocking or Americain victory.

Shocking will hopefully produce a great run in the Mackinnon Stakes before defending his Cup crown.

As for Americain (pictured, above), he showed something European horses have lacked in the past decade in winning the Geelong Cup. American showed a burst of speed, after being held up early in the straight.

Good luck to everybody for the famous and fabulous week at Flemington.