Main Stage is the early 2018 SA Derby betting market mover for the big one in Adelaide this afternoon with money coming for Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young-trained gelding.

Main Stage is the early 2018 SA Derby betting market mover for the Group 1 in Adelaide this afternoon. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Due to run as Morphettville Race 7, this year’s Group 1 $600,000 South Australian Derby (2500m) field now features first emergency Tropical Lightning (5) after Darren Weir withdrew his widely-drawn colt Amerock (20).
Weir still saddles-up three in the field including favourite in SA Derby betting at Ladbrokes.com.au, last start Chairman’s Stakes winner Leicester, who is at $4.40 to had his trainer a third straight win in the autumn classic.
The big mover in the South Australian Derby odds meanwhile backed in from $10 to $8 is Reliable Man bay Main Stage, the Kiwi-bred youngster chasing his first win since the Listed UCI Stakes (1800m) victory at Flemington over Cliff’s Edge last October.
Main Stage raced in the spring’s Group 1 $1.5 million VRC Derby (2500m) in Melbourne and was far from disgraced over the SA Derby distance when under three lengths back fifth behind the winner Ace High.
This year he has had four unplaced runs, the latest a fifth to Levendi in the Group 1 $2.1 million ATC Derby (2400m) in Sydney on April 7.
The punters are tipping him to improve heading to Adelaide with Damien Oliver booked for the ride, the hoop chasing a second SA Derby win after previously riding Leon Corstens’ equal favourite Zabeelionaire to victory back in 2012.
There are three other single-figure hopes in the South Australian Derby odds as they stand including Chairman’s Stakes runner-up High ‘N’ Dry ($5.50) for Matthew Ellerton & Simon Zahra who ran third in last year’s race with beaten favourite Odeon and the consistent Chris Waller-trained Tangled ($6) drawn in barriers 16 and 13 respectively.
Snitzel colt Tangled has run top three in his latest three runs in Sydney and finished in the money in both the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) when second to stablemate D’Argento from barrier 17 of 18 and the Group 1 ATC Derby (2400m) crossing third.
His latest run was at Royal Randwick in the Group 3 Frank Packer Plate (2000m) where he ran a devastatingly close second in a run he can improve on stepping-up in distance on SA Derby Day.
Rounding out the best in South Australian Derby betting at $8.50, also well-supported after opening at $10, is the Roger James-trained High Sherrif from across the Tasman.
The New Zealand raider is two from four back home and was last seen running fifth in a Group 2 over 2100m on April 21 ahead of his first Group 1 run.
Looking further down the markets the value horse in the SA Derby field that has had some support from the punters is Box On Collins backed in from $34 to $26.
The Tony McEvoy-trained Lope De Vega gelding from Victoria has winning form up to 2060m and comes off a lead-up fourth in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (2035m) in Adelaide, the same form as last year’s SA Derby champ Volatile Mix (2017).
Check out the latest South Australian Derby 2018 odds below, pricing open now at Ladbrokes.com.au.