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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 $500,000.

The 2020 edition of the South Australian Derby offered a reduced $400,000 in prize money due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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) and the also Darren Weir-trained Leicester (2018).

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 2021 South Australian Derby ran on Saturday May 8, 2021 and was won by the ATC Derby champ Explosive Jack.

SA Derby 2021
Date:	Saturday May 8, 2021
Track:	Morphettville Racecourse
Distance:	2500m
Race Type:	3YOs – Set Weights
Status:	Group 1
Prize Money:	$500,000

2021 SA Derby Results

• 1st: #1 Explosive Jack
• 2nd: #4 Let’s Karaka Deel
• 3rd: #9 Nobel Heights

Explosive Jack ($4F) was too good for his rivals again, the upset 20/1 ATC Derby winner backing-up to dominate the 2021 South Australian Derby results and hand jockey John Allen with his fourth win in the event.

Click here to read more on the impressive SA Derby 2021 win by the now Queensland Derby-bound Explosive Jack.

	Finish	No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Bar.	Weight	Penalty	Starting Price
	1	1	EXPLOSIVE JACK (NZ)	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	John Allen		10	56.5kg		$4F
	2	4	LET’S KARAKA DEEL (NZ)	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Ben Allen	2.4L	15	56.5kg		$13
	3	9	NOBEL HEIGHTS	Matt Cumani	Will Price (a)	5.2L	4	56.5kg		$18
	4	16	SHEBRINGZIT	Mick Huxtable	Karl Zechner	6L	3	54.5kg		$101
	5	2	ROYAL MILE	Lee Creek	Jacob Opperman (a)	7.8L	2	56.5kg		$12
	6	6	DEEPSTRIKE (NZ)	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	Damian Lane	8.5L	9	56.5kg		$5.50
	7	15	PERSONAL	Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes	Damien Oliver	8.7L	16	54.5kg		$4.40
	8	13	TOKEN SPIRIT	Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock	Barend Vorster	10.4L	11	56.5kg		$101
	9	12	SUPPRESSION (NZ)	Chris Waller	Todd Pannell	11.2L	13	56.5kg		$101
	10	3	LIQUEURO	Cindy Alderson	Luke Currie	11.3L	6	56.5kg		$6.50
	11	5	AZALY	Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes	Blaike McDougall	13.9L	8	56.5kg		$51
	12	14	ICHIBANSAN	Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas	Ms Caitlin Jones	14L	14	56.5kg		$81
	13	8	MONTEPULCIANO	Richard & Chantelle Jolly	Jake Toeroek	22.7L	1	56.5kg		$81
	14	10	ABREED	Andrew Noblet	Jason Holder	35.6L	12	56.5kg		$81
	15	11	SOLAR APEX	Chris Waller	Michael Walker	44.7L	7	56.5kg		$41
	16	7	MILETUS	Jamie Edwards	Jamie Mott	46L	5	56.5kg		$41

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

2021 South Australian Derby Betting

The top SA Derby 2021 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.

2021 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 2021 Derby field is set for release on the Tuesday leading up to SA Derby Day and will be published in full below.

The 2021 South Australian Derby final field is now out featuring 16 young hopefuls led in betting by Explosive Jack in gate 10 coming off a Group 1 Australian Derby lead-up win in Sydney.

Click here to read more on the key horses in the SA Derby 2021 field and betting market.

2021 South Australian Derby Nominations

Early South Australian Derby nominations for 2021 close on Tuesday the 27th of April, 2021 and will be updated in full below once announced.

ATC Derby champion Explosive Jack headlines the 29 South Australian Derby 2021 nominations taken for the 2500m Group 1 in Adelaide this autumn.

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.

Recent South Australian Derby Winners

Year	Place	Horse	Time
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