Flying local three-year-old Gamblin’ Guru staked their claims in Adelaide for the South Australian Derby 2014 this Saturday with a tight win in the $115,000 Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes(2000m) over the weekend.

Chairman's Stakes winner Gamblin' Guru will back-up in this weekend's 2014 SA Derby. Photo: Jenny Barnes.

The Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas-trained New Approach gelding jumped one of the top fancies in the Chairman’s at Morphettville Racecourse after their last start win at the track a fortnight ago.

Group 2 performed in Melbourne as a two-year-old, Gamblin’ Guru caught the eye at Geelong last spring with their victory over Tupac Amaru in the Listed Geelong Classic (2200m) in the mud.

They broke a five month losing streak two back then when holding off Choisir gelding and fellow local Kushadasi in the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m) on April 12.

Then this Saturday gone Gamblin’ Guru made it back-to-back wins relishing a step up to 2000m for the Chairman’s where they held on to beat Excites Zelady by a nose.

With form up to 2200m, connections are now likely to roll the dice with Gamblin’ Guru and back them up in the weekend’s only Group 1 – the $500,000 South Australian Derby (2500m).

Third over the line finishing off the Chairman’s Stakes trifecta behind Gamblin’ Guru ($3.50) and the Chris Bieg-trained Excites Zelady ($14) meanwhile was then the fast finishing Danny O’Brien-trained Gravitational ($17) who was just a long neck off the winner.

In a distant fourth nearly four lengths away was then the Richard Jolly-trained favourite Kushadasi ($2.30) who failed to make up ground after getting taken right back from their wide barrier 11 draw.

Winner Gamblin’ Guru meanwhile had the run of the race from barrier four, their regular hoop Jason Holder doing everything right allowing his mount to hold an inside position before snaring victory.

“I got there [to the front] a bit soon,” Holder told The Herald Sun on Saturday speaking about race tactics during the Chairman’s.

“But when a run like that is there, you have to take it.”

Holder will retain the mount in the SA Derby, and he believes the horse will handle the step up in distance so long as they can get him to settle.

“The key is the horse can stay,” he said.

“He really just has to put it all together.”

Co-trainer Macdonald, who trains in partnership with his son-in-law Gluyas, agrees and knows that Gamblin’ Guru has their work cut out for them this weekend.

“He pulled very hard, it nearly cost him the race,” Macdonald said of the Chairman’s.

“He can’t be doing that (in the SA Derby).

“My only idea would be to not race on the fence, but a lot will depend on where we draw.

“There should be some good pace in the race and that will help him.”

See below for the full Chairman’s Stakes 2014 results and finishing order.

Make sure you stay tuned to Races.com.au then to view the soon-to-be-released 2014 SA Derby nominations ahead of the weekend’s continuation of the Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival.

Whether it’s the SA Derby or one of the support races running at Morphettville this weekend, the hottest racing odds will be available online at Ladbrokes.com.au so open your account with them to get in on the action!

2014 Chairman’s Stakes Results

Morphettville Race 4 – 26/04/2014