Horse Racing

The South Australian Derby is the final of four Group 1 races held as part of the Adelaide Racing Carnival. It is a 2500 metre staying event that takes place on Goodwood Day at the picturesque Morphettville racecourse in late April or early May each year. The other Group 1 event at the meeting is the Goodwood (1200m).

The SA Derby is for three-year-olds at set weights and offers a prize purse of $300 000. Entries in the race may have previously contested the Group 3 Lord Reims Stakes (2600m) in February. Three-year-old fillies may come via the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) on Robert Sangster Stakes Day or the Group 3 SA Oaks (2400m) two weeks before.

As the leading three-year-olds race at Adelaide, the South Australian Derby attracts high quality runners. One of the best winners was Mummify in 2003, who continued on to claim victory in that year’s Caulfield Cup in Melbourne and placed third in the Caulfield Cup the following year as well.

The staying distance and high status of the Derby means that some of the season’s finest horses compete in the race, which is why it is always a good race to watch as an indication for other important races held at the end of the year. For example, South Australian Derby winners Count Chivas (1995) and Shivas Revenge (1991) both continued on to place second in the Melbourne Cup, and the mighty Subzero won the SA Derby / Melbourne Cup double in 1992.

The 2012 South Australian Derby will be run on Saturday May 5th, 2012.

South Australian Derby History

The South Australian Derby was first run in 1860 when Midnight won. It began as a principal race run over 12 furlongs. Not long after its inception the event was not held for a period between 1869 and 1875. It recommenced in 1876 under the same status and distance. The race did not run again from 1885 to 1889 and in the years 1942 and 1943 due to the war. The distance of the Derby was converted to 2500m in 1973 before decreasing to 2400m in length in 1978. This was one year before it reached Group 1 status in 1979. For one year in 1980 the event was raced over a distance of 2600m before dropping back to 2500m the following year in 1981.
There was no South Australian Derby held in 1983 and a few years later in 1986 the distance reverted back to 2400m. In 2001 the event was again run over 2500m and has since remained the same.

Recent South Australian Derby Winners