The Melbourne Cup winning stables of Darren Weir will head to Queensland next month with gun three-year-old Howard Be Thy Name to chase an interstate Derby double after taking out this year’s SA Derby 2016 on the weekend.

Howard Be Thy Name wins the 2016 SA Derby on way to a possible Queensland Derby bid in Brisbane this winter. Photo: Jenny Barnes.

A full field of three-year-olds faced off in the $500,000 Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) on Saturday including flying Redoute’s Choice colt Howard Be Thy Name from Victoria.

Continuing his gun run in Adelaide the recent Listed Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m) – Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (2020m) double winner made it three consecutive wins at the Morphettville track in the Derby.

The horse had over two lengths to spare last time out and handled the step up to 2500m without a worry in the Group 1, hard-working Irish jockey John Allen rewarded with his first elite level win in Australia.

Regular rider for Weir and fellow Wangoom horseman Jarrod McLean, who represented the stable trackside on SA Derby Day, Allen took over for Brad Rawiller aboard Howard Be Thy Name after Rawiller went to Brisbane on BTC Cup Day.

The John O’Shea-trained stablemates Tarquin and Etymology were two of the best out of the SA Derby barriers this Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival and went up to lead early.

The Lee & Anthony Freedman-trained VRC St Leger winner Cool Chap, whose stablemate Malaguerra had only moments ago won the Group 1 BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben, went back to last from his outside draw.

Tarquin led from the spring’s VRC Derby placegetter Etymology with Bullish Stock tucked away on the inside in third and the locally-trained Royal Rumble settled fourth then fifth.

It was a slowly-run edition of the staying showdown, and unhappy with the speed Tuff Bickie raced around the outside followed soon after by the WATC Derby winning filly Arcadia Dream for last year’s winning trainer Grant Williams.

She hit the front after whizzing up before Tarquin along with Manhattan Boss regained the lead, Howard Be Thy Name tracking just off the front pack in a patient run.

He started to wind up heading into the straight before join in along with Cool Chap who was the widest runner around the turn.

Inside the last 200m the eventual winner went hard and Howard Be Thy Name ($5) held them all at bay to defeat Etymology ($16) by a half-length with Cool Chap ($7), who loomed as a winning chance at the 200m but lost a bit of ground trying to duck back in, crossing 2.3 lengths away for third.

The in-form three-year-old won the South Australian Derby improving once again in a superior staying performance that McLean confirmed Weir was keen to back-up from at Eagle Farm Racecourse on June 11 in the $600,000 Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m).

“Since he’s come back he’s just been a different horse,” McLean said of Howard Be Thy Name.

“He’s a real dude and a pleasure to train.

“There will be no paddock. He’ll be straight on a plane up to Brisbane to have a rack at the Derby up there.

“There’s still a bit left [in the tank].”

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2016 SA Derby Results & Finishing Order

Morphettville Race 7 – 14/05/2016