2016 South Australian Derby Nominations Released

This week the South Australian Jockey Club (SAJC) took nominations for the South Australian Derby 2016 with 36 early entries for the Morphettville Racecourse classic.

Chairman’s Stakes winner Howard Be Thy Name is one of the top 2016 SA Derby nominations. Photo: Jenny Barnes.

Set to run as the headline event in Adelaide on Saturday May 14, this year’s $500,000 Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) nominations are headed by the Darren Weir-trained Howard Be Thy Name.

Weir is yet to saddle-up a SA Derby winner but looks a big chance this autumn with two entries in Duke Of Boneo and Howard Be Thy Name.

The latter is a nicely-bred Redoute’s Choice colt who is undefeated at Morphettville having won both his previous starts at the track back-t0-back in April.

Firstly he took out the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas (2800m) before backing-up last Saturday to win the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (2020m) by a big two and a quarter lengths.

The last SA Derby winner to come off a Chairman’s Stakes run was Kushadasi (4^th) in 2014, while the double was last achieved by Rebel Raider in 2009.

Also finishing in the money in the Chairman’s Stakes and nominated for a rematch in the South Australian Derby this year are the Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas-trained runner-up Royal Rumble and third-placed Manhattan Boss for Peter Morgan & Craig Widdison.

Royal Rumble has had six Morphettville runs for a win, three seconds and two thirds.

His winning form extends only to a mile to date, but he has been very consistent this campaign and looks the best hope for Macdonald & Gluyas.

Co-trainer MacDonald has prepared two previous SA Derby winners with French Cotton (1986) and more recently the aforementioned Rebel Raider (2009).

As well as Royal Rumble his other entries for a third success in 2016 are Lookin At Lucky filly Beluga Blue, Reset gelding Mail It In and the in-form C’est Beau La Vie.

One of 10 fillies nominated to take on the boys in the South Australian Derby this Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival, C’est Beau La Vie is a daughter of Bernardini and following a recent 1600m win at Morphettville was last seen running second in the Group 3 Auraria Stakes (1800m) on April 23.

The other headline filly in the SA Derby nominations is the Grant Williams-trained Arcadia Dream from Perth.

The daughter of Domesday has been in stellar form in WA including her WA Oaks second and last start win in the Group 2 WATC Derby (2400m) in mid-April.

She is accepted for her first Morphettville run this weekend on Robert Sangster Stakes Day from a nasty outside barrier (16 of 16) in the $400,000 Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m).

Other notable fillies in the mix include fellow WA raider First Impressions who won the WA Oaks two back, the Anthony Cummings-trained ATC Oaks third placegetter Believe, the David Hayes & Tom Dabernig-trained Sacred Eye and her Champagne Stakes winning stablemate Pasadena Girl; all four of which are also running in the Schweppes Oaks on Saturday.

The only two fillies to win the SA Derby since Showella (1999) are Zarita (2008) and Delicacy (2015) last year.

Delicacy is prepared by Arcadia Dream’s trainer Williams and took out the WA Oaks – WATC Derby double as well as the Schweppes Oaks – SA Derby double last season.

Other notable SA Derby nominees this year include the John O’Shea-trained Tarquin and the fellow Godolphin-raced Etymology who was runner-up in last October’s Victoria Derby.

See below for the full SA Derby 2016 nominations, final acceptances closing next Tuesday, May 10.

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2016 South Australian Derby Nominations

Morphettville Racecourse – 14/05/2016