Tough Western Australian filly Delicacy proved that she will be a staying force in the Spring with another dominate win in the Group 1 $500,000 William Hill South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville today.
WA filly Delicacy scores a dominant win in the Group 1 South Australian Derby for 2015. Photo by Jenny Barnes
The Grant Williams trained Delicacy wrapped up her second Oaks – Derby double after she beat the fillies in the Group 1 $400,000 Schweppes Oaks (registered as Australasian Oaks) (2000m) at Morphettville last week.
And the Al Maher filly was the star of the Perth Autumn Carnival at Ascot with wins in the Group 3 $250,000 Reliance Partners W.A. Oaks (2400m) and in the Group 2 $400,000 Schweppes W.A.T.C. Derby (2400m).
Top Perth jockey Peter Hall has now put two great rides back to back after winning the Australasian Oaks in similar style, he settled Delicacy ($1.90 favourite) in the second half of the field today before getting into the clear at the top of the straight to give the filly an uninterrupted run to the line.
Once Hall got her out to the middle of the straight, she was always going to outstay her rivals and had a length and a half to spare over runner up Werther ($12) with Allergic ($18) battling away to finish third.
Delicacy at her odds on quote was the only runner in the Derby field under double figures with the runner up Werther, Manapine and October Date closest to her in the betting at $12 each.
The Nigel Blackiston trained Manapine made up ground in the straight to finish fifth while October Date was never in the race and faded in the run home to finish fifteenth in the sixteen horse field.
Kiwi three year old Werther ran up to his New Zealand form and was always in the first half dozen and fought right to the line only to be beaten by the better staying filly on the day.
