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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.

The 2020 South Australian Derby ran on Saturday May 9, 2020 and saw the favourite Russian Camelot post an outstanding win for the punters. 

SA Derby 2020
Date:	Saturday May 9, 2020
Track:	Morphettville Racecourse
Distance:	2500m
Race Type:	3YOs – Set Weights
Status:	Group 1
Prize Money:	$500,000 ($400,000 in 2020 due to COVID-19)

2020 SA Derby Results

• 1st: #4 Russian Camelot
• 2nd: #1 Dalasan
• 3rd: #2 Warning

Russian Camelot lived up to the hype in the SA Derby 2020 results, the Danny O’Brien-trained Northern Hemisphere three-year-old saluting for the punters after racing three-deep out the back with no cover in the 2500m staying showdown.

Click here to read more on the potential Melbourne Cup-bound 2020 SA Derby winner Russian Camelot.

Place	#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Barrier	Weight	SP
1	4	RUSSIAN CAMELOT (IRE)	Danny O’Brien	John Allen	–	7	56.5kg	$2.90F
2	1	DALASAN	Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas	Jason Holder	1.8L	9	56.5kg	$3.80
3	2	WARNING	Anthony Freedman	Damien Thornton	2.8L	3	56.5kg	$4.40
4	14	ZAYYDANI (NZ)	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	Dom Tourneur	3.8L	2	54.5kg	$13
5	12	MOONLIGHT MAID	Mitchell Freedman	Jake Toeroek	6.7L	10	54.5kg	$10
6	3	THEMOONLITEGAMBLER	John McArdle	Dean Holland	11.9L	1	56.5kg	$19
7	6	SAINT EUSTACE (NZ)	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	Zac Spain	12L	6	56.5kg	$26
8	8	ROCK STEADY (NZ)	Phillip Stokes	Dylan Caboche (a)	14.7L	12	56.5kg	$151
9	10	EXALTED AMBITION	Grant Young	Ryan Hurdle	18.9L	8	56.5kg	$201
10	9	ST ARNICCA	Paul Preusker	Caitlin Jones (a)	23.4L	5	56.5kg	$151
11	11	SOWPODS	Gordon Richards	Shayne Cahill	27.5L	4	56.5kg	$201
12	7	RISING ARCHIE	Paul Preusker	Ethan Brown	46.2L	11	56.5kg	$51
–	5	MIYAKE	Chris Waller	Todd Pannell	–	0	–	–
–	13	SILENT SOVEREIGN	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Barend Vorster	–	0	–	–

2020 South Australian Derby Betting

The top SA Derby 2020 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) was the last favourite in South Australian Derby betting to salute for the punters.

2020 South Australian 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 2020 Derby field is set for release on the Tuesday leading up to SA Derby Day and will be published in full below.

The 2020 South Australian Derby final field features 14 smart three-year-olds led in betting by last start Chairman’s Handicap winner Dalasan and the VRC Derby champ from last November Warning.

Click here to read more on the SA Derby 2020 field and betting favourites.

Update: #13 Silent Sovereign (11)  and # Miyake (14) have been scratched from the race leaving 12 in the mix.

#	Form (Last 10)	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Hcp. Rating
1	251×355511	DALASAN	Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas	Jason Holder	9	56.5kg	103
2	4121×75563	WARNING	Anthony Freedman	Damien Thornton	3	56.5kg	102
3	312×1532	THEMOONLITEGAMBLER	John McArdle	Dean Holland	1	56.5kg	72
4	12×41	RUSSIAN CAMELOT (IRE)	Danny O’Brien	John Allen	7	56.5kg	73
5	69x512x01	MIYAKE	Chris Waller	Todd Pannell	14	56.5kg	67
6	64×9172	SAINT EUSTACE (NZ)	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	Zac Spain	6	56.5kg	67
7	5×47213	RISING ARCHIE	Paul Preusker	Ethan Brown	12	56.5kg	61
8	7315	ROCK STEADY (NZ)	Phillip Stokes	Dylan Caboche (a)	13	56.5kg	59
9	8833318240	ST ARNICCA	Paul Preusker	Caitlin Jones (a)	5	56.5kg	58
10	6260×53826	EXALTED AMBITION	Grant Young	Ryan Hurdle	8	56.5kg	58
11	137×463858	SOWPODS	Gordon Richards	Shayne Cahill	4	56.5kg	53
12	4x4123x652	MOONLIGHT MAID	Mitchell Freedman	Jake Toeroek	10	54.5kg	85
13	142469×410	SILENT SOVEREIGN	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Barend Vorster	11	54.5kg	75
14	11×627	ZAYYDANI (NZ)	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	Dom Tourneur	2	54.5kg	69

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.

Recent South Australian Derby Winners

Year	Place	Horse	Time
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