Luck and more luck needed in Blue Riband

ALL the main chances are on the second row...then there's us!

That was the tongue-in-cheek comment from Damian Wilson when discussing Saturday night's Victoria Oaks in Melton.

Wilson will contest the Group One with Ideal Moth, which has drawn the outside of the back row - 13.

Joining the well-bred daughter of American Ideal from a tough draw are Soho Americano, Beach Diamond, Let Her Roll and Golden Shooz.

Soho Americano heads the market at $2.40 via TAB Fixed Odds, with the other trio paying $4.80, $5 and $6.

Then there is Ideal Moth, which is all-but friendless with punters at $51, despite finishing third in her heat from a difficult front row draw.

"I think the odds sum up her chance to a pretty accurate degree," Wilson said. "Given the quality of the field and her draw, she deserves to be a longshot.

"That's not to say she can't win though!

"We'll be relying on luck, a lot of luck, but she is an opportunist which can come off the speed and cause an upset in a race like this."

Wilson has a long standing history with the 'Moth' moniker, in fact, Lively Moth provided the horseman with his first pacing Group One as a driver more than a decade ago.

"It's been a terrific family with a lot of Group winners in there," Wilson said. "Lively Moth is going back a while that's for sure.

"Lively Moth gave me my first driving major with a pacer, now if all that luck does come our way, I'll get my first as a trainer with Ideal Moth."