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Cox Plate day history pointed to promising Shamus Award three-year-old Soul Patch producing a fine trial for the Victoria Derby with his dominant win in the G2 Moonee Valley Vase.

Shamus Award won the WS Cox Plate as a 3YO in 2013 and the following year added the G1 Australian Guineas. He is now making his mark as a notable sire with Soul Patch becoming his fifth stakes winner that include the G1 Queensland Derby winner Mr Quickie among his 57 winners from 104 runners.

Soul Patch  (Shamus Award x God Bless Us by Flying Spur) is trained by Ken Keys and was sourced by the trainer from the Armidale Stud draft at the Tasmanian Magic Millions Yearling Sale in 2018 for $45,000.

His winning dam God Bless Us is from  Holy Bounty, a G2 placed daughter of Don't Say Halo and half-sister to the Fimiston sprinter Ellicorsam, winner of the G1 Swettenham Stud Stakes and dam of the multiple stakes winner and G1-placed Ellicazoom (Testa Rossa).

Keys is striving for his first G1 win of his career, having gone close to his first when Rich Enuff finished second in the Caulfield Guineas, and is confident Soul Patch can deny his pedigree doubters by proving himself over the Derby distance of 2500m at Flemington on Saturday.

Shamus Award is a son of Snitzel (Redoute's Choice) from a Flying Spur (Danehill) mare, a pedigree that is more sprinter than stayer but Keys says there are always exceptions to the rule.

"He's got a pedigree of a middle distance horse, not a Derby horse, but he races like a stayer," Keys said.

"He's got more brilliance than a true stayer but he's got the temperament of a stayer."

Soul Patch has now won three of his five starts and is proving a headline horse for Shamus Award who was relocated from NSW this year to stand at Rosemount Stud in Victoria.

Keys went back to the Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale this year to secure Soul Patch's half-brother by Street Boss for $95,000. Their dam God Bless Us is in foal to Alpine Eagle.