Stokes goes back-to-back in South Australian Derby

ADELAIDE – For the second straight year, dual state-based trainer Phillip Stokes has won the A$1 million (S$914,000) South Australian Derby at Morphettville with a longshot.

After Femminile scored in the 2025 edition of the Group 1 feature, Wigmore – who was having just his second outing for Stokes – scored at $188 in the 2,518m Classic for three-year-olds on May 2.

Providing jockey Teo Nugent with his second winner at the highest level, Wigmore scored by a short head from 2025 Group 1 VRC Oaks (2,500m) winner Strictly Business (John Allen). Autumn Mystery (Brad Rawiller) was third, a half-length away.

Wigmore came into Stokes’ care only three weeks after running fourth behind Road To Paris in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2,400m) at Ellerslie on March 7.

The son of Sweynesse made his debut for his new trainer in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (2,000m) at Morphettville on April 25. He finished seventh to the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Impulsive Reaction.

Stokes said there had been plenty of improvement noticed between last week and race day, following the gelding’s stay at his Morphettville base after preparing for the SA Derby in Melbourne.

Stokes said the connection and OTI manager Terry Henderson had asked him to sell down 25 per cent of Wigmore, which he was able to do to some friends with an immediate result.

It was Stokes’ ninth Group 1 success and, for the immediate future, he is not planning for any more Group 1 assaults with Wigmore.

“We just brought him along slowly. He’s very clean winded and a big thanks to OTI,” said Stokes.

“They’re massive supporters. We’ve won this race twice with them and we’ve had a few Group 1 winners now.

“We’re getting up there, Group 1 winners-wise. They’re very important. It’s good for everyone and there’s a lot of good owners in this.

“It’s a great result.”

Stokes said a trip north to Brisbane may be unlikely for the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2,400m) at Eagle Farm on May 30, but he could be targeted at Australia’s most prestigious race on the first Tuesday of November.

“He’s done an amazing job after being up for so long,” he said. “We may have a (Group 1) Melbourne Cup (3,200m) horse on our hands.”

Stokes said Nugent had been the lucky recipient after jockey Lachlan Neindorf was ruled out through suspension.

He said Neindorf had done a lot of the work aboard Wigmore when he first entered the stable at Pakenham, and the rider had suggested his father go in the ownership of the SA Derby winner.

Nugent said he had known Stokes since he was 12 years old and joked that one day he would be the trainer’s apprentice.

“I went over to Ireland to learn how to ride horses and, for whatever reason, it didn’t work out. I went to Ciaron Maher instead,” he said.

“It’s good to team up with Phil and get a Group 1 winner behind us.

“He was always super throughout my apprenticeship, and he would always chuck me on in town.

“Just of late, I’ve been coming over to Adelaide, warming up for the season and, to get a Group 1 win, it’s a massive thrill.

“Phil had this horse trained to the minute. This is his first campaign and to be in work for six months, he tipped me off when I got on, he was feeling super well.

“He’s a typical Kiwi mudlover, he got through that track, no worries at all, so it’s onwards and upwards for him, for sure.”

On the same day in Brisbane, former Kranji-based jockey Michael Rodd partnered the Grahame Begg-trained Splash Back ($49) to win the A$300,000 Group 2 Victory Stakes (1,200m) at Eagle Farm.

The Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1,400m) on June 27 is the goal for the Victorian mare, after she upstaged several big-name sprinters to capture her second Group 2 event.

A winner of the 2025 Stocks Stakes (1,500m) at Moonee Valley, Splash Back had finished midfield behind Victory Stakes rival In Flight (Jake Bayliss) in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1,200m) at Randwick on April 11, but was able to plough through the heavy track conditions on May 2.

Hugging the fence for Rodd, the Le Havre six-year-old mare burst through along the rails late to run down Payline (Kyle Wilson-Taylor), with Warnie (Jason Collett) in third.

Group 1 winners Transatlantic (Ryan Maloney, fourth), Lady Of Camelot (Tim Clark, fifth) and Private Harry (Ashley Morgan, eighth) also finished in her wake.

Rodd ended his five-year stint in Singapore in 2021 but returned to race-riding only in October 2023, after a long battle with post-concussion syndrome.

He said he was not confident when Splash Back was among the tailenders on the home turn, and could not believe his good fortune when she got a saloon passage through the field.

“They went along at a decent clip, and I was out the back and wasn’t going anywhere straightening up,” he said.

“I was struggling a bit and thought, I’m staying on the inside.

“I couldn’t believe it was opening up in front of my eyes, and she will be even better when she gets out over a little bit further.”

Begg was not at Eagle Farm, but stable representative Jack Lake praised Rodd’s initiative to sweat on an inside run.

“Just to get up on the rail and save ground was crucial,” he said.

“She is spot-on for the Tatt’s Tiara. She has beaten some good horses today and we always thought she was up to that class.” SKY RACING WORLD