Ideal Derby Draw Keeps Group 1 Dream Alive for Huxtable

Murray Bridge trainer Mick Huxtable’s hopes of securing his maiden Group 1 victory enjoyed a boost today when his consistent three-year-old Condelago came up with barrier one for Saturday’s SA Derby.

There were 17 acceptors, 16 starters plus one emergency, for this year’s $350,000 Group 1 SA Derby (2500m), running at Morphettville as part of Super Sunday along with the $350,000 Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) that also attracted a full field.

Right Of Refusal is the early favourite for the SA Derby

Early favourites to take out the SA Derby include Victorian raider Right Of Refusal coming off a sharp four length victory in the VRC St Leger at Flemington, Peter Snowden’s improving Domesday colt Backgammon, well-bred Encosta De Lago colt Echoes Of Heaven who is a winner at the Morphettville track over 1800m and Mark Kavanagh’s in-form Redoute’s Choice filly Kittens.

A longer-priced outsider that came up trumps in the SA Derby barrier draw is Delago Brom gelding Condelago due to jump from gate one with Chad Lever in the mount.

A winner of four of their 13 starts to date, Condelago has plenty of experience at the Morphettville track but is as yet untested over the 2500m distance of the Derby.

At his first start over a distance greater than 2000m, Condelago ran an encouraging fifth beaten two and a half lengths by fellow Derby rival Kittens in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (2020m) last Saturday.

Prior to that they came within a half length of Mick Price’s Echoes Of Heaven when second in the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m) on April 16.

“We’ve set him for the Derby all the way along,” Huxtable said of Condelago.

The closest Mick Huxtable has come to experiencing Group 1 glory was with his Archway mare Moment In Time, recently sold to Nathan Tinkler’s Patinack Farm and now under the training of John Thompson in Warwick Farm.

When prepared by Huxtable, Moment In Time came within quarter of a length of becoming a Group 1 winner when a brave second to Zarita in the 2008 Schweppes Oaks.

“They’re pretty hard to win those (Group Ones) unless you have a stable full of top horses,” Huxtable said.

“It would have been nice to win one with her (Moment In Time) and she came close but probably didn’t have that touch of luck you need when it counted.”

Meanwhile Caulfield trainer Mick Price is happy with how Echoes Of Heaven came through his third place finish behind Kittens and Backgammon in the Chairman’s Stakes.

“He’s always promised to be a Derby colt and he’s had a really nice prep,” Price said.

“He was good on Saturday (in the Chairman’s), hit the front 100m out, but those horses with a big more momentum down the outside nutted him.

“He hasn’t got a margin on them ability-wise but the distance suits and he’s ready to go.”

Echoes Of Heaven drew well mid-field with barrier eight and will be ridden by Craig Newitt, aboard for the Port Adelaide Guineas win, in the SA Derby on Saturday one on the outside of the punters’ favourite Right Of Refusal in barrier seven.

Backgammon also drew ideally in gate three with Mark Zahra booked for the mount while Kittens has some work to do from barrier 16, but over the distance will have plenty of time.

2011 Betfair SA Derby Field & Barriers

#	Form (Last 10)	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Hcp. Rating
1	X8741X6032	BACKGAMMON	Peter Snowden	Mark Zahra	3	56.5kg	80
2	71X3852121	RIGHT OF REFUSAL	Nigel Blackiston	Michael Walker	7	56.5kg	82
3	419X805436	SHADOWS IN THE SUN	Anthony Cummings	Ben Melham	11	56.5kg	82
4	5535X41625	CONDELAGO	Mick Huxtable	Chad Lever	1	56.5kg	84
5	X1X45X1413	ECHOES OF HEAVEN	Mick Price	Craig Newitt	8	56.5kg	87
6	11X7112X48	HEEZ BORN LUCKY (NZ)	Leigh Childs	Rhys McLeod	12	56.5kg	75
7	71X8013107	RIALYA	Lloyd Kennewell	Shayne Cahill	2	56.5kg	72
8	25X51123	WEIGHTED	Robert Hickmott	Corey Brown	15	56.5kg	67
9	X1321X5086	BERTUCCI	Lloyd Kennewell	Zac Purton	6	56.5kg	70
10	423X16331	STRATOCRACY	Michael Moroney	Ms Lisa Cropp	17	56.5kg	66
11	0X22211	SKY RAIDER	Tony McEvoy	Simon Price	4	56.5kg	68
12	38X3514	INTEGRATION (NZ)	Robert Hickmott	Steven King	5	56.5kg	62
13	0048X84510	PRECIOUS LORRAINE	David Hayes	Dwayne Dunn	13	54.5kg	84
14	63184X7001	KITTENS	Mark Kavanagh	Michael Rodd	16	54.5kg	72
15	111X474444	JETER	John P Thompson	Paul Gatt	14	54.5kg	82
16	410X510022	LALLA ROOKH	Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas	Ms Clare Lindop	9	54.5kg	74
17e	06X6532	HANDSOME AS	Roslyn Day	Adrian Patterson	10	56.5kg	57