Well before she was legged into the saddle on the 100-1 chance Rebel Raider in the $1.5 million Victoria Derby, Clare Lindop knew the biggest day in Australian racing was hers.When she guided the colt to victory in the first Classic race of the season, she was left in no doubt.Lindop rode Rebel Raider to success in the Derby, her biggest win for her biggest supporter in racing, trainer Leon Macdonald.It was the 29-year-old's second Group One winner and easily her most important.But it was a vict

Well before she was legged into the saddle on the 100-1 chance Rebel Raider in the $1.5 million Victoria Derby, Clare Lindop knew the biggest day in Australian racing was hers.

When she guided the colt to victory in the first Classic race of the season, she was left in no doubt.

Lindop rode Rebel Raider to success in the Derby, her biggest win for her biggest supporter in racing, trainer Leon Macdonald.

It was the 29-year-old's second Group One winner and easily her most important.

But it was a victory earlier in the day - one that she had nothing to do with - that made Derby Day more special than any other for Lindop.

A couple of hours before the Derby, the Melbourne Cup legend Bart Cummings asked Lindop to ride his horse Moatize in next Tuesday's big race after it snatched a place in the field by winning the Saab Quality.

"It's unbelievable," she said.

"Bart Cummings wants me to ride one of his horses in the Melbourne Cup.

"I can't think of a greater honour in racing."

Rebel Raider's shock victory probably came close.

Cummings would have been watching with a certain satisfaction as the young woman from Warrnambool outrode her opposition.

"I knew she could ride," said the 11-time Cup champion.

"Not a bad choice."

For Macdonald, the victory carried some added satisfaction.

Not only was it achieved in partnership with a rider whose career he has helped to fashion, it was also won against a fellow South Australian.

Mark Kavanagh, who had been developing a reputation as the leading expatriate South Australian trainer since Cummings himself, sent out the odds-on Derby favourite Whobegotyou.

With 300m to run Whobegotyou loomed up on the outside of Rebel Raider only to be shoved aside by Lindop as she made her winning move.

"That was one of the most satisfying wins of my career," Macdonald said.

It was the same for Lindop - at least until Tuesday.