The hunt for $5m in half an hour

Tassie family set for a day to remember as they chase more than $5 million across two cities.

Derby runner Soul Patch storms to victory on Cox Plate Day at Moonee Valley. Picture: Michael Klein

Tasmania’s Keys family could have a day to remember on the mainland, as they chase more than $5 million in prizemoney across two races and two cities within half an hour.

The $7.5m Golden Eagle (1500m) debuts at Rosehill with rich support races while, at Flemington, the 164th Victoria Derby meeting clashes.

The Derby jumps at 3.45pm and offers $1.2m to the winner. Half an hour later the barriers open at Rosehill in the inaugural Golden Eagle with a first-prize purse of $4.1m.

Owners, trainers and jockeys have been divided, forced to choose between the history linked to four Group I races for the purists in Melbourne or the nation’s third-richest race in Sydney.

Tegan Keys, a licensed racehorse trainer who rides trackwork for her partner Scott Brunton, is caught up in the excitement generated by the Golden Eagle with their “one in a million” horse The Inevitable.

The four-year-old gelding has won eight of his 10 starts including the Silver Eagle, the prelude to the race for four-year-olds only.

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“He’s only a little horse weighing 438kg but he doesn’t feel small when you’re riding him. He has the biggest stride of any horse I’ve ridden,” Keys said.

“He’s already been a fabulous horse for us but if he wins this race it will be life-changing.”

Tegan’s uncle Ken Keys trains in Victoria and chases his first Group I victory in the $2m Victoria Derby (2500m) with promising stayer Soul Patch.

Soul Patch burst into the Derby picture winning the Vase at Moonee Valley last Saturday. He doesn’t have a stayer’s pedigree, according to the trainer, though he has a tremendous physique and racing style.

Premier Sydney jockey James McDonald finished third in last year’s Victoria Derby on Chapada but will not be at Flemington for this renewal.

“It is an empty feeling. I love to be at Derby Day and I always look forward to it,” McDonald said.

“It was an extremely hard decision to make. I’ve been lucky enough to secure the ride on Arcadia Queen, one of the most promising horses in the country and favourite for the Golden Eagle.’'

Trainer Chris Waller trains Arcadia Queen and Kolding, who could quite easily fight out the finish in Sydney. He will be at Flemington to oversee trackwork for carnival prospects before boarding a plane and heading to Rosehill.

The Golden Eagle, partly funded by the new odds-and-evens bet type — which was introduced to TAB punters this year — is the third leg of the Golden Slam, joining the Golden Slipper (1200m) for two-year-olds in March and the Golden Rose (1400m) in September.

The Golden Eagle, it is hoped, will persuade owners to keep quality colts in training until the end of their four-year-old season instead of rushing off to stud at three. In its inaugural year, the Golden Eagle attracted 150 entries. The final field is comprised of 17 acceptors.

“It’s just a fantastic day’s racing at Rosehill for some terrific prizemoney. Obviously there is the Golden Eagle, but there is the $1m Redzel and the $500,000 Rosehill Gold Cup,” ATC executive general manager of racing James Heddo said.