Shadows In The Sun has won the Group 1 SA Derby at Morphettville today in what can only be described as a true staying performance.
The three-year-old gelding shot across from barrier ten to settle in the lead in the early stages of the race.
Shadows In The Sun managed to retain his lead and was uncatchable in the final straight as he surged to victory.
Echoes Of Heaven finished second while Lalla Rookh ran on well to finish in third.
This was the first win this preparation for Shadows In The Sun, who has not finished better than third in his past seven races.
Shadows In The Sun has now won three of his 18 race starts and has added an extra $222,500 to his prize earnings, which before today stood at $160,000.
The win provided apprentice jockey Ben Melham with his third win of the day, after claiming victory in the first two races of the day.
Melham won the Listed Dequetteville aboard Manhattan Maid and the Laelia Stakes on Ain’tnofallenstar.
This was the first SA Derby win for Shadows In The Sun’s trainer Anthony Cummings.
Race favourite Right Of Refusal failed to produce the brilliant run his trainer promised, with the three-year-old gelding finishing 14th in the 17 horse field.
Right Of Refusal was unable to come on in the final straight, instead opting to duck in behind other runners.
Before the race trainer Nigel Blackiston was full of confidence in his horse after his win in the VRC St Leger last start.
“The St Leger was a nice race with some good horses in it but in the end he was the best stayer and I think has to be the benchmark on Sunday,” Blackiston said.
“He’s got a lot more room to grow and develop and if he shows the same sort of ability in the spring he’ll be a very exciting horse.”
Shadows In The Sun won the SA Derby in a time of 2 minutes and 39.88 seconds.
