Sacred Elixir's chances of a crack at Saturday week's $A2 million Gr.1 Australian Derby at Randwick will be decided this weekend.

"He's going to have an exhibition gallop at Tauranga on Saturday and if I am happy with his work then he will fly out to Sydney on Monday," trainer Tony Pike said.

Runner-up in the Gr.1 VRC Derby in the spring, Sacred Elixir was a last-start fifth in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby.

"His sectionals were fantastic. I knew he wasn't going as well as he was in Brisbane or Melbourne, but in saying that he got back further than I had hoped for," Pike said.