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 presently main the betting markets as he goals for consecutive victories.
Statuario dominates betting on the 2025 SA Derby this weekend in Adelaide. Picture: Final Racing Photographs.
This 12 months’s Group 1 $1 million South Australian Derby (2500m) has attracted a sometimes sturdy discipline of late-autumn staying prospects, and Statuario is the clear favorite at $3.30 with Ladbrokes after a dominant Black-Kind win at Caulfield final day out.
The son of D’Argento proved his staying prowess over the mile and a half within the Listed Galilee Collection Remaining (2400m) on April fifth, profitable impressively by over two lengths whereas carrying 57kg because the odds-on favorite.
This victory supplied a big 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 formidable report on this race, having already steered 4 earlier SA Derby winners to victory.
Including additional intrigue, Shanwah subsequently franked the Alister Clark kind 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 steady and educated 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 slim defeat by below half a size to Athanatos within the Group 3 Chairman’s Handicap (2000m) at Morphettville final weekend – a race that has traditionally supplied a dependable kind line for the Derby.
Regardless of the capability discipline, just one different runner is presently 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, contemporary off a Group 1 double at Morphettville final weekend (profitable the Australasian Oaks on Benagil and the Robert Sangster Stakes on Appeal Stone), has been booked to experience American Wolf from barrier 11, a doubtlessly advantageous draw for a horse together with his operating model.
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 dwell 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), crushed by solely two lengths, and will probably be ridden by Todd Pannell from barrier seven.
Intriguingly, the second emergency runner, World Eclipse, from the Mick Worth & Michael Kent Jnr steady, is listed at 10/1 regardless of needing two scratchings to achieve a begin.
This elegant 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 Goals ($15), trying to proceed the fillies’ latest good report within the race, the spring’s VRC Derby winner Goldrush Guru ($15), aiming to recapture his finest kind, and Politely Dun ($15), who completed second to Saturday’s favorite, Statuario, final begin.
The 2025 Thomas Farms South Australian Derby is about to run as Morphettville Race 8 at 4:05pm (native ACST) / 4:35pm (AEST).
2025 South Australian Derby Discipline & Obstacles
No
Final 10
Horse
Coach
Jockey
Barrier
Weight
Penalty
Hcp Ranking
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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