More than a decade after Clangalang's Victoria Derby campaign fell apart, trainer Gerald Ryan is having another try with Bachman.

Ryan took Clangalang to Melbourne confident he had the credentials to win the Classic but the colt failed to handle the left-handed direction in the Norman Robinson Stakes and his Derby bid was aborted.

Bachman travels from Sydney to run in the corresponding race on Saturday, now named the Caulfield Classic, and has put in plenty of ground work to ensure he doesn't have the same problem.

"I took Clangalang to Melbourne with the intention of running him in the Derby but he didn't handle the opposite way of going in the Norman Robinson so we brought him home," Ryan said.

"Bachman has done a lot of work going the left-handed way so I'm confident he can do it."

Bachman goes to Caulfield on Saturday for his fourth start this campaign, his most recent a closing third in the Dulcify Quality (1600m) won by Hampton Court.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained Hampton Court was elevated to the top of Derby betting after his dominant win in Saturday's Group One Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick.

"I can't remember having a Victoria Derby starter before but I think he can go all the way," Ryan said.

Clangalang did live up to his trainer's opinion of him as a stayer the following autumn when he won the 2003 Australian Derby at Randwick.

Bachman will be accompanied on the trip to Melbourne by Klammer who is entered for Saturday's Listed Gothic Stakes at Caulfield.

Both Bachman and Klammer are raced by syndicates which include Clangalang's owner Damion Flower who is also a partner in star colt Rubick.

Singapore-based Australian jockey Corey Brown will make a flying visit to ride Bachman and lightweight Caulfield Cup contender Big Memory on Saturday.