Good draw for Manawanui

Short-priced Victoria Derby favourite Manawanui has drawn inside his two main rivals for Saturday's $1 million race at Flemington, which will feature a capacity 16-horse field.

Manawanui drew perfectly in barrier eight for the feature race of the first day of the Melbourne Cup carnival and is set to start around $2.40 favourite, with jockey Glyn Schofield having the option to go forward or sit back.

Second favourite Induna ($5.50) has come up with barrier 12, but is likely to settle at the rear of the field, while Gai Waterhouse's hope Niagara will have to overcome the outside barrier having come up with No.18.

New Zealander Sangster, who will be ridden by last year's Derby winning hoop Hugh Bowman, has drawn alongside Manawanui in barrier nine.

Saturday is widely regarded as the best day of racing in Australia, with four Group One races, two Group Twos and three Group Threes.

The other Group One races have attracted strong fields with 16 plus one emergency in for the Myer Classic (1600m) for the fillies and mares, 14 horses in the Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) and 10 in the Coolmore Stud Stakes for the three-year-old sprinters.

Sepoy, who will start well in the red for the Coolmore Stud Stakes, comes out of barrier eight in his race, while More Joyous, hot favourite for the Myer Classic, has to overcome barrier 13.

The Mackinnon stakes features Caulfield Cup winner Southern Speed, who drew barrier 10, Cox plate placegetter Rekindled Interest, who came up with barrier three.

Victoria Derby Field:
1. MANAWANUI (8) Glyn Schofield
2. ISOPACH (17) Joao Moreira
3. COLLAR (NZ) (4) Nicholas Hall
4. SABRAGE (16) Damien Oliver
5. SANGSTER (NZ) (9) Hugh Bowman
6. PERFECT PUNCH (13) Ms Clare Lindop
7. INDUNA (12) Kerrin McEvoy
8. COSTLY COMMITMENT (6) Craig Newitt
9. SCELTO (NZ) (10) Dwayne Dunn
10. NIAGARA (18) Nash Rawiller
11. CORNELL (3) Craig Williams
12. EAGLE COMMAND (15) Dean Yendall
13. ZABEELIONAIRE (NZ) (5) Stephen Baster
14. I FEEL GOOD (11) Brenton Avdulla
15. RAPIDUS (NZ) (14) Steven Arnold
16. MR CHEZ (NZ) (2) Michael Rodd
17e. MUSTANG (NZ) (1) Corey Brown
18e. MONSILI (7) Luke Currie