Victoria Derby is personal for The Real Sherlock

Victorian owner Jean Feiss hopes The Real Sherlock wins the Victoria Derby Saturday night for his dad, because she thinks his sire Vincent is owed such a success.

Feiss is harness racing’s busiest trans-Tasman owner, flying to Christchurch this week to watch three of her horses, including $2m earner Self Assured, at Addington on Friday night, before catching the 6.30am flight back to be at Melton.

She raced The Real Sherlock’s superstar father Vincent and the former trainer has respect industry-wide as having one of the best eyes for a yearling in the harness game.

Vincent was a pacing machine who won 16 of his 19 starts, but his only unplaced run was in the 2017 Victoria Derby. He had won his heat by 12m and was $1.40 for the final, but had his sulky tyre flattened by a rival after 400m and was pulled out of the race.

“He was a great horse and I’d love to see this horse (The Real Sherlock) win it for Vincent,” Feiss said.

“Vincent is really making an impression as a stallion, but a Derby win would boost that – especially this Derby after what happened six years ago.”

The Real Sherlock caused the upset of last Saturday’s two Derby heats when he overcame an outside front line draw and sat three wide for much of lap one before outstaying long-time Derby favourite The Lost Storm.

“He is getting better,” Feiss said. “He has always had speed – you can’t train speed – but he is getting more professional and a lot more like his dad.”

Feiss also likes the team of her horse and leading local driver Greg Sugars, who is building a strong association with New Zealand’s leading stable of Mark Purdon and his son Nathan.

“Greg and the horse suit each other, they’re both laid back,” Feiss said with a smile.

Coincidentally, the 2017 Derby Vincent was knocked out of was won by Our Little General for trainer Emma Stewart, who prepares Saturday night’s favourite Petracca. But both he and The Lost Storm are on the second line, and The Real Sherlock can stay ahead of the Stewart stars off the front row.

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by Michael Guerin, for Harness Racing Victoria