South Australian Derby 2021

Ladbrokes Tip: Locally trained 3YOs have the best record in the SA Derby

The South Australian Derby is a Group 1 race for three-year-old staying types held at Morphettville Racecourse in mid-May during the Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival. Contested a week after the Group 1 Schweppes Australasian Oaks (2000m) for the fillies, the set weights clash takes place over 2500m and offers $500,000 in prize money. For 2020 the SA Derby prize money was cut to $400,000 due to the global Coronavirus crisis.

It is one of the major Morphettville races during the season and locally-trained horses have a top record in the event.

The latest edition of the South Australian Derby took place on Saturday May 8, 2021 and was won by the ATC Derby champion Explosive Jack. 

SA Derby Race Info

• Date: Saturday May 8, 2021
• Track: Morphettville Racecourse
• Distance: 2500m
• Conditions: 3YO – Set Weights
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $500,000 
• First Run: 1860

2021 South Australian Derby Results

The official South Australian Derby 2021 results and finishing order will be available below once the race is run and won on Saturday May 8, 2021.

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

The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained favourite Explosive Jack ($4) was ultra-impressive backing-up from his upset 20/1 win in the ATC Derby to enjoy another Group 1 success in the SA Derby 2021 results. 

South Australian Derby Odds

South Australian Derby odds are usually led by the best performing three-year-olds coming off 2000m runs at the track in either the Chairman’s Stakes or the Schweppes Oaks.

Favourites tend to have an outstanding recent record in the race with nine winning 2006 – 2021. The latest favourites in SA Derby betting to salute were: Explosive Jack ($4 in 2021), Russian Camelot ($2.90 in 2020), Leicester ($4 in 2018) and the odds-on top elect Delicacy ($1.90 2015).

Previous experience at Morphettville often helps determine the South Australian Derby betting markets, as do those tested in previous Group 1 races either in Adelaide or interstate like the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) in Sydney the month before. Explosive Jack (2021) was the last horse to do the ATC Derby – SA Derby double. 

2021 SA Derby Betting

The autumn racing odds and South Australian Derby 2021 betting markets will be available below once open so you can back your favourite three-year-old stayers at the right price in the  Adelaide Group 1 autumn racing feature so stay tuned.

South Australian Derby Field

The South Australian Derby field attracts the season’s top three-year-old stayers from both locally and interstate. It is mainly made up of Adelaide-trained hopefuls however that come out of lead-up races including the Group 3 SA Chairman’s Stakes (2000m) in late April and for the fillies the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks (2000m) the Saturday prior.

SA Derby winner Howard Be Thy Name (2016) went on to run fourth in the Queensland Derby in Brisbane. Photo Credit: Jenny Barnes.

The South Australian Oaks – Derby double was last completed by Delicacy (2015), while in 2016 Howard Be Thy Name completed the Chairman’s Stakes – SA Derby double before stablemate Leicester (2018) repeated the feat for trainer Darren Weir two years later.

South Australian Derby nominations close the Tuesday of the week before the race, a week before final SA Derby acceptances are taken revealing the field of hopeful young stayers.

2021 South Australian Derby Field

The official South Australian Derby 2021 final field and barriers are released by the South Australian Jockey Club (SAJC) the Tuesday of race week and will be provided below.

The 2021 SA Derby field features 16 three-year-olds led in betting by the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Australian Derby winner in Sydney, Explosive Jack, drawn gate 10. 

2021 South Australian Derby Nominations

The early South Australian Derby 2021 nominations are taken by the South Australian Jockey Club (SAJC) on a Tuesday two weeks out from the race and will be provided below.

The 2021 SA Derby nominations attracted 29 three-year-old stayers led by the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Australian Derby hero Explosive Jack. 

South Australian Derby Form Guide

The South Australian Derby form guide provides all the must know information before punters place a bet including the jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up form of the three-year-olds in the mix.

Wide barriers are not something to shy away from with plenty of good horses getting the job done from barrier 10 or wider including Explosive Jack (10 of 16 in 2021), Volatile Mix (barrier 11 in 2017), Kidnapped who saluted from the outside barrier 16 of 16 in 2010, as did both Tails Of Triomphe (2005) and Testafiable (2006).

Over the years the South Australian Derby form has stacked up in better staying races in Melbourne during the spring including in 2003 when Mummify won the SA Derby – Caulfield Cup double before running third in the following year’s Sydney Cup and the 2005 Caulfield Cup.

Count Chivas (1995) and Shivas Revenge (1991) both won the SA Derby before placing second in the iconic Melbourne Cup in their respective years, while Subzero (1992) completed the double winning that spring’s ‘race that stops a nation’.

More recently the 2020 SA Derby champion Russian Camelot went on to run top three in his next four Group 1 starts in Melbourne including winning the Underwood Stakes and finishing third in the Cox Plate to Sir Dragonet that spring. 

SA Derby Form Facts

• Delicacy (2015) and Qafila (2019) are the only fillies since 2008 to beat the boys in the SA Derby results
• The Chairman’s Stakes is the key SA Derby form race to follow and Howard Be Thy Name (2016) and Leicester (2018) were the last to do the double
• Favourites in SA Derby betting have a gun record in the race over the past decade with the latest to salute being Russian Camelot ($2.90 in 2020) and Explosive Jack ($4 in 2021)
• Jockey John Allen rode four of the six SA Derby winners from 2016-2021 

2021 South Australian Derby Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive South Australian Derby 2021 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

South Australian Derby Tips

The favourites have a strong record in the race so taking the top fancy in betting is a good South Australian Derby tip.

Fillies have only won three times since 1999, so taking the colts and geldings that are high up the markets coming out of a run in the Chairman’s Stakes in Adelaide is a great SA Derby betting tip.

2021 SA Derby Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ exclusive South Australian Derby 2021 betting tips and exotic selections will be detailed below the week of the race so check back for the three-year-olds to back and sack in your Morphettville punting.

• To Win: #1 Explosive Jack ($3.50 at time of publish) 

Sticking with the Group 1 winner last time out in Sydney, Ciaron Maher & David Eustace’s Explosive Jack, who is going from strength to strength this campaign. He’s at much shorter odds here, but is proven at the distance (or close to) and has plenty of class. Only a narrow win in the ATC Derby, but he beat some nice types and barrier 10 here with John Allen aboard suits. 

South Australian Derby Results

South Australian Derby results have been dominated by the favourites in recent years with the most notable upsets scored by Shadows In The Sun ($20 in 2011) and Tails Of Triomphe ($50 in 2005).

The most famous recent South Australian Derby winners include Expolsive Jack (2021), Russian Camelot (2020), Delicacy (2015), Rebel Raider (2009), Mummify (2003) and Subzero (1992).

South Australian Derby Past Winners