The Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival continues its Group 1 racing bonanza this Saturday at Morphettville with the running of the $1 million South Australian Derby (2500m).
Coco Sun is tipped to beat home the boys in the 2024 SA Derby field in Adelaide this weekend. Photo: Jenny Barnes.
A capacity field of talented three-year-old stayers is set to vie for glory, with all eyes on the Victorian filly Coco Sun who is heavily favoured to become the first filly to win the race since Qafila in 2019.
Trained by the successful team of Tony & Calvin McEvoy, Coco Sun boasts an impressive record of four wins from her ten career starts.
Currently drawn barrier 10, she could potentially slide into a more favourable position (barrier 8) if all emergencies are scratched.
Jockey Jamie Kah retains the ride after a narrow third-place finish in the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at the same track.
The extra 500 meters shouldn’t be an issue for Coco Sun, considering her competitive performance against fillies in the VRC Oaks (2500m) during the spring.
Early punters are clearly enamoured with Coco Sun’s chances, driving her odds down to $4.40 according to Ladbrokes.
While Coco Sun is the clear top elect in South Australian Derby betting, there are several other runners with the potential to cause an upset.
Both Warmonger ($6.50) and Antrim Coast ($6.50) share the second line of the markets.
Mick Price & Michael Kent Jr.’s Warmonger, a son of War Decree, has been steadily improving with consistent placings in recent runs at Morphettville.
Drawing barrier 14 presents a slight challenge, but jockey Damian Lane is known for his tactical brilliance.
Antrim Coast, trained across the Tasman by Stephen Marsh and to be ridden by Michael Dee, offers a strong international presence.
This New Zealand-bred gelding finished a close second in the prestigious Group 1 NZ Derby (2400m) and has displayed his competitiveness against top company in Australia including winning the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes two back at The Valley.
Other runners to watch include the Chairman’s Stakes winner Bold Soul ($8) and the consistent Chris Waller-trained filly Ahuriri ($8) who is coming off a dominant victory in the Listed VRC St Leger (2800m).
The 2024 South Australian Derby is scheduled as Race 8 at Morphettville on Saturday, with a post time of 4:05pm (ACST).
2024 South Australian Derby Field
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1×15480212 | ANTRIM COAST (NZ) | Stephen Marsh | Michael Dee | 6 | 56.5kg | 98 | |
| 2 | 12413×0558 | SUNSETS | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Jacob Opperman | 3 | 56.5kg | 87 | |
| 3 | 4130×41113 | AIR ASSAULT | Andrew Gluyas | Jason Holder | 13 | 56.5kg | 87 | |
| 4 | 133111×31 | BOLD SOUL (NZ) | Patrick Payne | Jake Noonan | 12 | 56.5kg | 87 | |
| 5 | 74×134271 | GOLD WOLF (NZ) | David & Coral Feek | Neil Farley | 1 | 56.5kg | 82 | |
| 6 | 1150×30673 | GLAD YOU THINK SO | John Sargent | Blake Shinn | 15 | 56.5kg | 78 | |
| 7 | 3116×625 | WARMONGER (NZ) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Damian Lane | 14 | 56.5kg | 78 | |
| 8 | 778×44121 | OUTOVSTOCK (NZ) | Chad Ormsby | Opie Bosson | 18 | 56.5kg | 75 | |
| 9 | 1412 | A SAMURAI MIND | Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray | Lachlan Neindorf | 5 | 56.5kg | 69 | |
| 10 | 444×1187 | SHINJUKU (NZ) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Todd Pannell | 2 | 56.5kg | 66 | |
| 11 | 612 | JUST BERRILLIANT | Ricky Maund | Jeffrey Maund | 7 | 56.5kg | 66 | |
| 12 | 0x2124 | TULSA KING | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Jake Toeroek | 17 | 56.5kg | 65 | |
| 13 | 04×7819986 | STEEL BLAZE | Brett Lazzarini | Dom Tourneur | 8 | 56.5kg | 63 | |
| 14 | 44318×2178 | WARIALDA WARRIOR | John Ramsey | Darryl McLellan | 16 | 56.5kg | 63 | |
| 15 | x96055x113 | COCO SUN | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Ms Jamie Kah | 10 | 54.5kg | 80 | |
| 16 | 238×61281 | AHURIRI (NZ) | Chris Waller | Craig Williams | 11 | 54.5kg | 72 | |
| 17e | 6224 | ZAKOUMA | Pat Carey & Harris Walker | 4 | 56.5kg | 63 | ||
| 18e | 98165 | MAPUTO | Pat Carey & Harris Walker | Rhys McLeod | 19 | 56.5kg | 62 | |
| 19e | 83×394 | JUST EXPLOSIVE (NZ) | Simon Zahra | 9 | 56.5kg | 57 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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