Tough Western Australian filly Delicacy has drawn out wide in the Group 1 $500,000 William Hill South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
Western Australian filly Delicacy has drawn out wide in the South Australian Derby at Morphettville. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
Delicacy came up with barrier fourteen in the final field of sixteen plus four emergencies but could jump from gate eleven if all the reserves fail to gain a start.
The Al Maher filly is chasing back to back Group 1 wins after scoring a dominant win against the fillies in the $400,000 Schweppes Oaks (registered as Australasian Oaks) (2000m) at Morphettville last Saturday.
And the Grant Williams trained filly could also make it six wins on the trot after winning four on end in her home city of Perth during the Autumn Carnival before heading to Adelaide.
A win in the South Australian Derby on Saturday would give Delicacy a rare achievement of an Oaks – Derby double in two different states after she won the Group 3 $250,000 Reliance Partners W.A. Oaks (2400m) and the Group 2 $400,000 Schweppes W.A.T.C. Derby (2400m), both at Ascot.
Top Perth jockey Peter Hall made the best of a late call up to ride the filly in the Australasian Oaks after regular rider William Pike was injured in a barrier incident at the trials earlier on the week and will have to under surgery for his injured shoulder.
Hall will be on board again and it is hard to see him producing a better ride than he did last Saturday, but nothing less is needed from the awkward gate.
Prominent Perth owner Bob Peters has no concerns about his filly backing up week to week after she blew the other fillies away in the Australasian Oaks.
Kiwi visitor Werther has been treated worse than Delicacy and has well and truly been given the visitor’s draw, coming up with barrier eighteen in the original draw.
The Andrew Campbell trained gelding is a winner of three races from ten starts and comes to Adelaide on the back of a victory in the Group 2 NZ$100,000 Valachi Downs Championship Stakes (2100m) at Ellerslie on April 18.
Locally trained gelding October Date has drawn favourably at barrier two while the John O’Shea trained Allergic, who will carry the Godolphin blue, has drawn the rails.
October Date put his name into Derby contention with a narrow but gutsy win over Saturday’s rival Maysoor in the Group 3 $115,000 Quayclean Chairman’s Stakes (2020m) at Morphettville on April 25 and is a great chance to produce a home town victory.
Maysoor from Mick Price’s Caulfield stable has also drawn well at five while Chairman’s Stakes third placegetter Chu Chu Charlie has drawn gate ten.
Leading Melbourne trainer Peter Moody will saddle up two runners with former Western Australian colt Boom Time drawing nine and Triple Gold coming up with barrier three.
Moody took over the training of Boom Time after the Flying Spur colt ran third to Delicacy in the W.A.T.C. Derby while Triple Gold is taking a huge step up in class after finishing fifth in a 2060m Cranbourne BenchMark 70 Handicap on April 24.
