(Rod Gallegos is a leading commentator with Sky Sports Radio and Sky Racing.)

Looking at the Victoria Derby meeting at Flemington and two old-fashioned "knock-takers" - Atlantic Jewel in the Wakeful and Sepoy in the Coolmore Stud Stakes - stand out. But they're just too short for my money.

For a bit of better value, Green Moon may shine in The Lexus because he's desperate for a win to elevate him into the field for Tuesday's Melbourne Cup.

His Newcastle Cup win and gallant second in the Caulfield Cup represents an impressive form line.

As for the Derby, Sangster was ridden impetuously in the Norman Robinson a fortnight ago and should race well this time.

For good measure, I am having something on the veteran Efficient in the Mackinnon Stakes, for which he may have been set deliberately.

*****

HERE'S a tale of two extremes of the jockey scale.

At the Melbourne Spring Carnival, Craig Williams has been having a ball to be on the brink of becoming the first jockey to win the Caulfield Cup, the Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup in the one year.

Which is why his careless riding charge at Bendigo yesterday was so significant. Unless Williams' appeal is successful in the coming days, he won't be able to ride his highly-rated Cup mount, Dunaden, the second favourite in the great race.

While Grant Buckley would love to swap winning earnings with Williams, his performance in the saddle last weekend was nonetheless praiseworthy indeed.

He rode eight winners over two consecutive days - four out of seven at Kembla Grange last Saturday and four from eight at Nowra a day later.

*****

RACING fans are a weird mob! Earlier this week, callers to Sky Sports Radio were describing the win of Black Caviar in the Schweppes Stakes as "boring".

"When is she going to meet a big field and be fully tested?" paraphrases the bleating.

Turn it up, what more can she do?

Naturally, trainer Peter Moody would love to maintain an unbeaten record of Black Caviar which currently sits at 15.

However, he isn't fleeing from opposition. He has outlined a firm program which, for the spring, will climax on the final day of the Flemington carnival in the Patinack Farm Classic. All comers are welcome but, to date, there has been scarce opposition ready to line up and have their crack at the champ.

The plain facts are that there isn't a racehorse in Australia that can test Black Caviar. In fact, in sprint races they can't get within a bull's roar of her.

Instead of carping about what is perceived to be hollow victories, just sit back and absorb her power-plus performances. It may be a long time before we see her equal.

*****

ONCE more I am indebted to that race calling raconteur of the bush, Colin Hodges, for this titillating trivia tale: Who is the only jockey to win a Cox Plate as a jockey and an owner?

The answer is Kevin Langby but, before you go rushing off to the Millers Guide to refute the answer, it is right.

Kevin Langby rode Rising Prince to victory in the 1985 WS Cox Plate, however, there is a twist to the tale. It is not a widely-known that on Cox Plate day for the past six or seven years, the Mudgee Race Club has a GS Cox Plate (named in honour of the late Geoff Cox, a long-term chairman of the club) which is a 1600 metre Class 2. Befitting the name, miniature plates are presented to the winning owner, trainer and jockey.

This year the Mudgee Cox Plate was won by Vespasian, owned by Kevin Langby and trained by his daughter, Sharon Jeffries.

According to Colin Hodges, Kevin, as a previous Cox Plate winning jockey, was a guest at Moonee Valley for this year's running of the weight for age championship but kept telephoning Mudgee to inquire about the result of the G.S. Cox Plate. For the record, Vespasian was a heavily backed favourite and, with Kody Nestor in the saddle, romped in.