J-Mac produces stunner as favourite takes out $3m classic
Stormy Marco has won the Howden Victoria Derby by two lengths after a storming performance and brilliant ride by jockey James McDonald.
The superstar Kiwi rider took the pre-race favourite to the front with about 300m to go and got home with ease from Cold Shower and Quick Finish.
James McDonald on Stormy Marco won the Victoria Derby. Getty Images
It was J-Mac’s second win of the day at Flemington, having earlier ridden Private Eye to victory in the group 2 Damien Oliver earlier in the afternoon.
Stormy Marco was the favourite in the $3 million feature race, paying $3.50 odds.
The gun three-year-old was backing up a week after racing at Randwick last week.
“You just want to keep it smooth, want them to relax,” McDonald told Nine’s Billy Slater on the track.
“I had (Vallice jockey Mark) Zahra to my inside, and he was saying ‘sleep, baby, sleep’. So that’s all we did, the two of us.
“(Stormy Marco) had superior form. I’m so happy Chris backed him up. And he just knows his horses so well.”
McDonald and Stormy Marco settled towards the rear of the field for much of the race, before finding a gap and space at the top of the straight. He kicked home from there to win by two lengths.
The jockey said the wide barrier draw was probably an advantage.
“It’s a funny thing, barrier draws,” McDonald said.
“We drew the car park, but when you’re drawing inside, you feel like you’re entitled, that you have to hold the spot. If this horse drew inside, we would have been niggling to the first corner a little bit disorganised.
"They're the kind of things (that) can work against you, but it definitely can work for you. And we were lucky enough that worked for us today."
