Dual defending trainer Darren Weir could be set for a third straight success in Saturday’s 2018 South Australian Derby with his in-form Victorian raider Leicester heading markets on the Group 1 in Adelaide.
Darren Weir’s Chairman’s Stakes winner Leicester heads 2018 SA Derby betting for this weekend at Morphettville. Photo: Jenny Barnes.
Weir has prepared the past two winners of the Group 1 $600,000 South Australian Derby (2500m) with Howard Be Thy Name (2016) and Volatile Mix (2017).
He will saddle-up the favourite in South Australian Derby betting this weekend looking for the hat-trick with his Wanted gelding Leicester currently at $3.70 and firming through Ladbrokes.com.au.
The SA Derby field attracted a capacity line-up of three-year-old autumn stayers this season and Leicester is drawn barrier nine.
He could come into gate six of 16 with the emergencies out however, the same gate that produced Howard Be Thy Name for his success for the Weir stable two years ago.
In another replica form line to that galloper, Leicester is also chasing the same Chairman’s Stakes – SA Derby double.
He has had two runs in Adelaide leading up to the big one on Saturday having run a close fourth in the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m) before the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (20350m) on April 28.
Jockey Damian Lane had the ride last start and retains the mount on Saturday looking for his first SA Derby victory.
He rode last year’s winner Volatile Mix for his starts either side of the Group 1 but was replaced by John Allen on the champion on SA Derby Day, Lane instead settling for third on the Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra-trained Odeon who rounded out the trifecta as the beaten favourite.
Allen also rode Howard Be Thy Name to victory and is after his third win as a hoop in as many years on Saturday aboard the Weir-trained Civil Disobedience who is at current SA Derby odds of $15.
Following Leicester in the markets are three other single-figure hopefuls including the widely-drawn High ‘N’ Dry (18) at $6.
Prepared by Ellerton & Zahra the High Chaparral gelding ran third in the Port Adelaide Guineas before his second to Leicester in the Chairman’s so looks a genuine danger on the improve going up to the 2500m for the first time on the weekend.
The other shortest-priced South Australian Derby odds are on Chris Waller’s three-time Group 1 placegetter Tangled ($6.50) and the Roger James-trained Sherrif ($8.50).
Tangled was last seen running second in the Group 3 Frank Packer Plate (2000m) at Randwick on April 21, a narrow loss that followed brave efforts in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (21000m) when second at $71 odds and Group 1 ATC Derby (2400m) when third to Levendi over the mile and half during Sydney’s ‘The Championships’.
Sherrif meanwhile is the lightest-raced of the SA Derby horses, the Kiwi raider having won two of his four starts at home ahead of his first trip across the Tasman this Saturday.
Check out the latest South Australian Derby 2018 odds and betting options below, pricing open now at Ladbrokes.com.au.
