Girl power to the fore in wide open South Australian Derby

ADELAIDE – The girls are gang-tackling the A$1 million (S$914,000) South Australian Derby with Strictly Business, After Summer, Silvasista and Kazaru to all contest the 2026 edition at Morphettville on May 2.

It is the heaviest representation of fillies in the 2,518-metre Group 1 since four ran 15 years ago and a strong representation at that, with Silvasista (18-5) and After Summer (4-1) occupying the second and third lines of betting in a wide open market headed by first emergency Accidental Bid (17-10).

It could just be coincidence, but it might also be that connections of the fillies have targeted the Derby given the edge that gender has had over the colts and geldings in recent years, despite being heavily outnumbered.

The fillies are shooting for a hat-trick of wins following victories by Coco Sun and Femminile.

They followed Qafila (2018), Delicacy (2015) and Zarita (2008) as fillies to win lately, which is in contrast to the record of fillies in the race’s first couple of decades as an autumn event, which started in 1984.

The Colin Hayes-trained filly Mapperley Heights won that edition, but Showella (1999) was the only other filly to score before Zarita.

Much of that could have been due to fillies having their own 2,500m Group 1 – the South Australian Oaks – to target until 2004, but the appeal of that race diminished with its demotion to Group 3 level.

The Derby now looms large for fillies coming out of the Group 1 Australasian Oaks and two of 2026’s set are backing up out of that 2,000m event.

The past five fillies to win the Derby all had their previous start in the Australasian Oaks. Zarita and Delicacy completed the double, but the past three were all beaten in the Oaks – Coco Sun finished third, Qafila fourth and Femminile seventh.

That is the same position Kazaru, who, like Femminile is trained by Phillip Stokes and carries the OTI Racing colours, finished last weekend, which was six spots ahead of Strictly Business.

The latter is a 13-1 chance in the Australian market, while Kazaru is at 30-1.

After Summer heads to the Derby off Group 1 placings in the Vinery Stud Stakes (2,000m) and ATC Oaks (2,400m), while Silvasista is backing up after a dominant win in April 25’s VRC St Leger (2,800m) at Flemington.

The St Leger was once the definitive Derby guide, producing eight winners from 1987 to 2007, including Shark’s Fin, Shiva’s Revenge, Count Chivas, Big Pat and Lazer Sharp, who all did the double.

But an SA Derby winner has not come through the St Leger since Lazer Sharp in 2007, with third placings for Cool Chap and Runaway the best results.

The Chairman’s Stakes has taken over as the most prolific producer of Derby winners. Seven of the past 17 rounding out their preparations in that 2,000m Group 3, including Rebel Raider (2009), Howard Be Thy Name (2016), Leicester (2018) and Jungle Magnate (2022), who all did the double.

Last week’s Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (2,000m) winner Impulsive Reaction aims to join them, along with Flying Brant (third), Engine Of War (fourth), Wigmore (seventh) and Autumn Mystery (ninth) out of the 2026 Chairman’s Stakes.

In an odd twist, the horse they may all have to beat on paper may not even face the starter.

Ciaron Maher’s imported English colt Accidental Bid will sweat on a scratching to get in, being the first standby starter after the first 16.

Being an imported three-year-old, Accidental Bid is giving away age to his rivals, but there is a precedent with UK-bred Russian Camelot winning the race in 2020 at the height of Covid-19, ironically under Irish jockey John Allen, Accidental Bid’s pilot on Saturday.

A grey colt by Phoenix Of Spain, Accidental Bid came to Australia after only two starts in the UK, and remains unbeaten in two starts in his new home, both at Pakenham.

RACING AND SPORTS