Milestone earned a start in the G1 Victoria Derby after scoring a strong victory in the Listed Geelong Classic on Wednesday.  The Darley colt has firmed from $61 to $31 with TAB Sportsbet for the Derby.

Milestone (3c Redoute’s Choice – Cannyanna by Canny Lad) is trained by Lee Freedman for Sheikh Mohammed and was a $600,000 buy from Baramul Stud at the 2009 Gold Coast Magic Millions yearling sale.  

Freedman knows what’s required to fit a horse for the Victorian Derby having prepared previous winners Mahogany (1993), Portland Player (1996) and Benicio (2005).

Milestone will provide Darley with a strong second-string option for the Victoria Derby behind last Saturday’s G3 Norman Robinson Stakes winner Retrieve.   The Rahy colt is the $2.80 pre-post favourite for the Flemington feature on October 30.

The Redoute’s Choice honour-roll doesn’t include a Victoria Derby winner although he has sired three Derby winners elsewhere – Dariana & Empires Choice (Queensland Derby) and Redoute’s Dancer (NZ Derby).

Milestone was a four length Sale winner last month before an unsuccessful trip on the road to Adelaide for the Listed Hill Smith Stakes on October 9.

Winning rider Craig Williams said the key to Wednesday’s win was getting Milestone settled so that he could finish off at the end of 2200 metres.  “He’s still very new,” Williams revealed.  “But he got into a good rhythm and toughed it out.  He should run the Derby distance right out.”

Baramul Stud will offer a More Than Ready half-sister to Milestone among its 60 strong draft at the 2011 Gold Coast Magic Millions.  Their dam Cannyanna was a Melbourne Listed winner of the Summoned Stakes at Sandown and the Great Western Stakes at Flemington.

Cannyanna foaled a brother to Milestone at Baramul on October 4.