South Australian Derby

The $1 million South Australian Derby is a Group 1 staying showdown for three-year-olds run at Morphettville in May each season.

2024 SA Derby Results

  • 1st: TBD
  • 2nd: TBD
  • 3rd: TBD



The South Australian Derby is one of the four Group 1 races held as part of the Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival. It is a 2500 metre staying event that takes place at Morphettville Racecourse in May each year one week before the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m).

The SA Derby is for three-year-olds at set weights and offers a prize purse of $1 million as of 2024.

Entries in the race may have previously contested the Group 3 SA Chairman’s Stakes (2000m) at the track a fortnight earlier. The SA Chairman’s Stakes – SA Derby double was recently been completed by Howard Be Thy Name (2016), the fellow Darren Weir-trained Leicester (2018) and Jungle Magnate (2022).

Three-year-old fillies may come via the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) on Robert Sangster Stakes Day. Delicacy (2015) was the last filly to complete the SA Oaks – Derby double. More recently, Qafila (2019) improved on a lead-up fourth in the Schweppes Oaks to beat home the boys in the SA Derby next start.

As the leading three-year-olds race at Adelaide, the South Australian Derby field 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 South Australian 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.

In 2020 Russian Camelot won the SA Derby as the punters’ pick and went on to run top three in his next four Group 1 runs in Melbourne over the spring including winning the Underwood Stakes.

The favourites were in form again in the 2021 SA Derby results with the ATC Derby winner Explosive Jack completing the interstate Derby double.

The 2024 South Australian Derby runs on Saturday May 4, 2024 at Morphettville Racecourse offering $1 million in prize money. 

SA Derby 2024
Date: Saturday May 4, 2024
Track: Morphettville Racecourse
Distance: 2500m
Race Type: 3YOs – Set Weights
Status: Group 1
Prize Money: $1,000,000

2024 SA Derby Results

  • 1st: TBD
  • 2nd: TBD
  • 3rd: TBD

2024 South Australian Derby Betting

The top SA Derby 2024 betting odds on the season’s staying three-year-olds will be available right here once betting on the lucrative Group 1 Adelaide race opens at Ladbrokes.com.au.

Russian Camelot ($2.90 in 2020) followed by Explosive Jack ($4 in 2021) are the latest favourites in South Australian Derby betting to salute for the punters.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST ALL-IN 2024 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN DERBY ODDS (Post-Nominations)

2024 South Australian Derby Form

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2024 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN DERBY FORM GUIDE

2024 South Australian Derby Tips

Stay tuned for our insider South Australian Derby 2024 Tips on the Adelaide Group 1 staying showdown this May.

  • To Win: TBD

2024 South Australian Derby Field

The SA Derby field attracts a smart line-up of mainly local three-year-old staying types with plenty of fillies backing-up off the Australasian Oaks to take on the colts and geldings at the same track over 500m further.

The official South Australian 2024 Derby field is set for release on the Tuesday leading up to SA Derby Day and will be published in full below.

2024 South Australian Derby Nominations

Early South Australian Derby nominations for 2024 close on Friday the 26th of April, 2024 and will be updated in full below once announced.

The 2024 SA Derby nominations attracted 31 three-year-olds led in all-in betting by Chris Waller’s impressive VRC St Leger winning filly Ahuriri.

Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp Rating
1 1412 A SAMURAI MIND G 3 Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray 69
2 238×61281 AHURIRI (NZ) F 3 Chris Waller 72
3 44130×4111 AIR ASSAULT G 3 Andrew Gluyas 87
4 1×15480212 ANTRIM COAST (NZ) G 3 Stephen Marsh 98
5 05×71 ASTRODEAN C 3 Ryan Balfour 59
6 3530×7816 BLOOMING EDGE G 3 Trevor J Andrews 62
7 7x412P4 BOGUES C 3 Liam Howley 63
8 133111×3 BOLD SOUL (NZ) G 3 Patrick Payne 82
9 1x96055x11 COCO SUN F 3 Tony & Calvin McEvoy 78
10 1150×30673 GLAD YOU THINK SO C 3 John Sargent 78
11 74×134271 GOLD WOLF (NZ) G 3 David & Coral Feek 82
12 821 INFINITY IMPERIAL F 3 Liam Howley 62
13 311672 INTO YOU F 3 Shay Keating 68
14 61 JUST BERRILLIANT G 3 Ricky Maund 62
15 83×394 JUST EXPLOSIVE (NZ) G 3 Simon Zahra 57
16 98165 MAPUTO G 3 Pat Carey & Harris Walker 62
17 96126×65 MERCANTE G 3 Nigel Blackiston 63
18 x1144x3353 MOLLYNICKERS F 3 Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman 79
19 8×2110474 NAVY KING (NZ) G 3 Symon Wilde 64
20 778×44121 OUTOVSTOCK (NZ) G 3 Chad Ormsby 75
21 417812 POSITIVITY (NZ) F 3 Andrew Forsman 84
22 517×0311 PULCHRITUDINOUS (NZ) F 3 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 98
23 424 SABAN G 3 Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman 60
24 444×118 SHINJUKU (NZ) G 3 Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) 66
25 104×781998 STEEL BLAZE G 3 Brett Lazzarini 61
26 12413×0558 SUNSETS C 3 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young 87
27 3×311227 THE AUTUMN BELLE F 3 Henry Dwyer 67
28 0x212 TULSA KING G 3 Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) 63
29 244318×217 WARIALDA WARRIOR G 3 John Ramsey 63
30 3116×62 WARMONGER (NZ) G 3 Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) 78
31 6224 ZAKOUMA G 3 Pat Carey & Harris Walker 63

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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.

Trainer Darren Weir made SA Derby history in 2018 when Leicester became his third straight winner on the trot, seeing the horseman emulate the great Bart Cummings from 40 years earlier.

Jockey John Allen enjoyed his third South Australian Derby winning ride in 2020 aboard the favourite Russian Camelot who went on enjoy a hugely successful spring in Melbourne including his Cox Plate third to Sir Dragonet. The jockey returned and posted a fourth victory aboard the favourite Explosive Jack – winner of that year’s ATC Derby in Sydney – in 2021.

In 2023 Patrick Payne trained his first Group 1 winner with Dunkel in the SA Derby, a race the horseman won as a jockey back in 1994 aboard the Mick Price-trained Bullwinkle. The South Australian Derby 2023 results also saw jockey Billy Egan enjoy his maiden Group 1 victory.

Recent South Australian Derby Winners

Year Place Horse Time
2024
South Australian Derby
1st TBD TBD
2nd TBD
3rd TBD
2023
South Australian Derby
1st Dunkel 2 minutes 40.43 seconds
2nd Promises Kept
3rd Aberfeldie Boy
2022
South Australian Derby
1st Jungle Magnate 2 minutes 37.31 seconds
2nd Yaphet
3rd Detonator Jack
2021
South Australian Derby
1st Explosive Jack 2 minutes 38.99 seconds
2nd Let’s Karaka Deel
3rd Nobel Heights
2020
South Australian Derby
1st Russian Camelot 2 minutes 42.02 seconds
2nd Dalasan
3rd Warning
2019
South Australian Derby
1st Qafila 2 minutes 39.06 seconds
2nd Savvy Oak
3rd Mr Quickie
2018
South Australian Derby
1st Leicester 2 minutes 38.95 seconds
2nd Rezealient
3rd Runaway
2017
South Australian Derby
1st Volatile Mix 2 minutes 37.09 seconds
2nd Ruthven
3rd Odeon
2016
South Australian Derby
1st Howard Be Thy Name 2 minutes 40.08 seconds
2nd Etymology
3rd Cool Chap
2015
South Australian Derby
1st Delicacy 2 minutes 37.91 seconds
2nd Werther
3rd Allergic
2014
South Australian Derby
1st Kushadasi 2 minutes 41.98 seconds
2nd Scratchy Bottom
3rd Best Case
2013
South Australian Derby
1st Escado 2 minutes 39.05 seconds
2nd Hioctdane
3rd Shoreham
2012
South Australian Derby
1st Zabeelionaire 2 minutes 42.1 seconds
2nd Sabrage
3rd Westsouthwest
2011
South Australian Derby
1st Shadows In The Sun 2 minutes 39.8 seconds
2nd Echoes Of Heaven
3rd Lalla Rookh
2010
South Australian Derby
1st Kidnapped 2 minutes 37.21 seconds
2nd Red Colossus
3rd Sea Galleon
2009
South Australian Derby
1st Rebel Raider 2 minutes 40.39 seconds
2nd Astro Gains
3rd Fitoussi
2008
South Australian Derby
1st Zarita 2 minutes 39.5 seconds
2nd Zagreb
3rd Neugine
2007
South Australian Derby
1st Lazer Sharp 2 minutes 37.8 seconds
2nd Classic De Lago
3rd Red Lord
2006
South Australian Derby
1st Testafiable 2 minutes 43.3 seconds
2nd Empire Gold
3rd Irazu
2005
South Australian Derby
1st Tails Of Triomphe 2 minutes 37.1 seconds
2nd Douro Valley
3rd Kamsky
2004
South Australian Derby
1st Hard To Get 2 minutes 37.1 seconds
2nd On A Jeune
3rd Better Jetsetter
2003
South Australian Derby
1st Mummify 2 minutes 38.7 seconds
2nd Vicksburgh
3rd Lord Wooburn
2002
South Australian Derby
1st Pantani 2 minutes 37.8 seconds
2nd Silver Baron
3rd Lester Thuderwing
2001
South Australian Derby
1st Big Pat 2 minutes 36.2 seconds
2nd Bush Padre
3rd Adolescence
2000
South Australian Derby
1st Blue Murder 2 minutes 38.4 seconds
2nd Mr Nelson
3rd Voile D’Or

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