The Emma-Lee and David Browne-trained Statuario has firmly established himself because the one to beat in Saturday’s 2025 South Australian Derby at Morphettville, with the favored gray at the moment main the betting markets as he goals for consecutive victories.
Statuario dominates betting on the 2025 SA Derby this weekend in Adelaide. Photograph: Final Racing Photographs.
This 12 months’s Group 1 $1 million South Australian Derby (2500m) has attracted a usually sturdy discipline of late-autumn staying prospects, and Statuario is the clear favorite at $3.30 with Ladbrokes after a dominant Black-Sort win at Caulfield final trip.
The son of D’Argento proved his staying prowess over the mile and a half within the Listed Galilee Collection Ultimate (2400m) on April fifth, profitable impressively by over two lengths whereas carrying 57kg because the odds-on favorite.
This victory offered a major confidence enhance after his disappointing 14th-place end within the Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington two begins prior, which was adopted by an improved third within the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) at Moonee Valley behind Shanwah.
Notably, Statuario will probably be ridden by John Allen, a jockey with a powerful report on this race, having already steered 4 earlier SA Derby winners to victory.
Including additional intrigue, Shanwah subsequently franked the Alister Clark type with a third-place end within the ATC Derby, setting the stage for Statuario’s return to Group 1 firm in South Australia.
The principle hazard within the SA Derby betting, priced at $5, is Lavalier, representing the highly effective Godolphin secure and skilled by James Cummings.
The progressive Microphone gelding will probably be partnered as soon as once more by in-form jockey Jamie Melham, who’s chasing back-to-back victories on this race after guiding Coco Solar to victory final 12 months.
Lavalier enters the Derby off consecutive second-place finishes, most just lately a slender defeat by underneath half a size to Athanatos within the Group 3 Chairman’s Handicap (2000m) at Morphettville final weekend – a race that has traditionally offered a dependable type line for the Derby.
Regardless of the capability discipline, just one different runner is at the moment listed at single-figure odds: American Wolf at $7.
Ready by the in-form coaching partnership of Trent Busuttin and Natalie Younger, this Tivaci gelding is searching for a hat-trick of wins.
Two begins again, he carried 59kg to victory over 2000m at Ballarat because the favorite from a large barrier, adopted by one other win within the Listed VRC St Leger (2800m) at Flemington, demonstrating his staying capabilities.
Including additional curiosity, Mark Zahra, recent off a Group 1 double at Morphettville final weekend (profitable the Australasian Oaks on Benagil and the Robert Sangster Stakes on Allure Stone), has been booked to experience American Wolf from barrier 11, a probably advantageous draw for a horse together with his working type.
Zahra himself has tasted SA Derby success beforehand, aboard Jungle Magnate in 2022.
Ciaron Maher, who received this race in partnership with David Eustace in 2021 with Explosive Jack, returns in 2025 with a stay likelihood in Saint Emilion, priced at $11.
This son of Snitzel is on a fast back-up after ending fourth within the Chairman’s Handicap at lengthy odds (30/1), overwhelmed by solely two lengths, and will probably be ridden by Todd Pannell from barrier seven.
Intriguingly, the second emergency runner, International Eclipse, from the Mick Worth & Michael Kent Jnr secure, is listed at 10/1 regardless of needing two scratchings to achieve a begin.
This stylish Pierata colt was final seen profitable a Cranbourne maiden impressively over 2025m by six lengths whereas carrying 59kg on April 18th, marking him as a possible future star.
Different longer-priced contenders hoping for an upset embrace Lindsay Park’s filly Chase Your Desires ($15), seeking to proceed the fillies’ current good report within the race, the spring’s VRC Derby winner Goldrush Guru ($15), aiming to recapture his greatest type, and Politely Dun ($15), who completed second to Saturday’s favorite, Statuario, final begin.
The 2025 Thomas Farms South Australian Derby is ready to run as Morphettville Race 8 at 4:05pm (native ACST) / 4:35pm (AEST).
2025 South Australian Derby Discipline & Limitations
| No | Final 10 | Horse | Coach | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Penalty | Hcp Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 211×943705 | GOLDRUSH GURU | Andrew Gluyas | Jason Holder | 18 | 56.5kg | 99 | |
| 2 | 81142×5031 | STATUARIO | Emma-Lee & David Browne | John Allen | 3 | 56.5kg | 80 | |
| 3 | 11250 | CONFETTI GARDEN | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Younger | Liam Riordan | 14 | 56.5kg | 76 | |
| 4 | 86×36211 | AMERICAN WOLF (NZ) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Younger | Mark Zahra | 11 | 56.5kg | 72 | |
| 5 | 37118×084 | SAINT EMILION | Ciaron Maher | Todd Pannell | 7 | 56.5kg | 70 | |
| 6 | 32253×3316 | SNOOPY NOW | Darryl Hewitt | 8 | 56.5kg | 70 | ||
| 7 | 0x21x11243 | DUBAI FOCUS | Aaron Bain & Ned Taylor | Ben Melham | 13 | 56.5kg | 70 | |
| 8 | 35554×5622 | LAVALIER | James Cummings | Ms Jamie Melham | 15 | 56.5kg | 70 | |
| 9 | 33140×6842 | POLITELY DUN | Danny O’Brien | Daniel Stackhouse | 2 | 56.5kg | 68 | |
| 10 | 87313 | ROCTAVE (NZ) | Stephen Marsh | Jordan Childs | 9 | 56.5kg | 68 | |
| 11 | 146×544157 | DARKNCONFIDENTIAL | Stuart Gower | Ms Rochelle Milnes (a) | 12 | 56.5kg | 66 | |
| 12 | 110 | COMPRESSING (NZ) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Younger | Daniel Moor | 10 | 56.5kg | 66 | |
| 13 | 423×4130 | SCINTILLANTE (NZ) | Cliff Brown | Billy Egan | 5 | 56.5kg | 64 | |
| 14 | 38225×7454 | CAVITY BAY | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Harry Coffey | 17 | 54.5kg | 75 | |
| 15 | 1x9630x067 | FEMMINILE | Phillip Stokes | Lachlan Neindorf | 4 | 54.5kg | 74 | |
| 16 | 3×3611251 | CHASE YOUR DREAMS (NZ) | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Ethan Brown | 19 | 54.5kg | 69 | |
| 17e | x6471x0619 | CAPTAIN HILFIGER (NZ) | Peter Gelagotis | 16 | 56.5kg | 64 | ||
| 18e | 2321 | GLOBAL ECLIPSE | Mick Worth & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Ben Melham | 6 | 56.5kg | 63 | |
| 19e | 6×73533418 | GIN RUMMY | Alexander Justice | Justin Potter | 1 | 56.5kg | 60 |
Desk Credit score: Racing Australia.
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