Pre-post favourite to take out the South Australian Derby 2017 next month, Odeon is the headline nomination for Saturday’s Chairman’s Stakes at Morphettville.

Local SA Derby-bound Morvada is one of the key 2017 Chairman’s Stakes nominations for this Saturday in Adelaide. Photo: Jenny Barnes.

To be run on the main track, this season’s $120,000 Group 3 SA Chairman’s Stakes (2030m) attracted 21 early entries.

The race is the perfect lead-up into the $600,000 Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) run back at Morphettville this season on May 13.

Futures SA Derby betting at Ladbrokes.com.au has the Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra-trained Zacinto gelding Odeon as the early $7 co-favourite with Ciaron Maher’s ATC Derby fourth placegetter Ruthven.

A winner of back-to-back Victorian races over 1400m at Bendigo and the Mornington mile respectively in March, Odeon was last seen finishing a narrow second to Grand Chancellor at Morphettville in the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m) on April 8.

That run was enough to see him secure a spot at the top of the SA Derby odds, a position he will retain if he can post a win in the Chairman’s Stakes this weekend in Adelaide.

Port Adelaide Guineas winner Grand Chancellor is also among the standout entries for this year’s Chairman’s Stakes, the Phillip Stokes-trained local chasing a fourth win from seven career starts.

Currently a $21 shot to hold out the better fancied interstate raiders in next month’s South Australian Derby, consistent Savabeel colt Grand Chancellor gets the chance to prove himself over the extra metres on Saturday.

The highest-rated of the Chairman’s Stakes nominees are the Peter Jolly-trained Morvada and Anaheim for Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young.

Morvada is a locally-trained Mossman gelding who finished last to Prized Icon in the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) in Melbourne last spring after a brave second to Sacred Elixir as a $41 roughie in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) in his Melbourne debut.

He has won one of his four runs this time in and was three lengths away fourth to Grand Chancellor last time out in the Port Adelaide Guineas and is a $17 SA Derby chance ahead of Saturday’s lead-up.

Anaheim ($11), the other shortest priced SA Derby chance in Saturday’s Group 3 after Odeon, drops in grade after finishing ninth to Jon Snow in the Group 1 ATC Derby (2400m) over the mile and a half at Randwick on April 1.

Before that he was far from disgraced when crossing under two lengths away fifth as a $31 shot behind Hey Doc in Flemington’s Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) and then fourth to the NZ Derby winner Gingernuts in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m).

Other notable Chairman’s Stakes nominees include the Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas-trained Rebel Raider gelding Waging War and last start Group 3 Frank Packer Plate third-placed Screamarr for Anthony & Edward Cummings.

The SA Chairman’s Stakes 2017 field and barriers are set for release on Wednesday, but in the meantime you can check out the early SA Derby markets online at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2017 Chairman’s Stakes Nominations

Morphettville Racecourse – 29/04/2017