Australia: Distance should suit Statuario in South Australian Derby

A lot has changed for the Australian-bred 3-year-old Statuario since he finished 14th of 15 in the Group 1 Australian Guineas at a mile at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on March 1.

Three weeks later, he was a good third in the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes at about 1 1/4 miles at Moonee Valley and then won the longest race of his career in a minor stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Caulfield on April 5.

The results in longer races have made Statuario an early 2-1 favorite for Friday’s Group 1 South Australian Derby at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide.

It’s quite a change from his recent loss at Flemington as an 80-1 shot.

A closer, Statuario ran particularly well to be third by 2 1/4 lengths at Moonee Valley, which has a stretch of just 190 yards. The stretch at Morphettville is approximately 350 yards.

Statuario, trained by the husband-and-wife team of David and Emma-Lee Browne, is part of a full field of 16 in the $638,500 South Australian Derby, run at 1 9/16 miles.

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Morphettville has a nine-race program beginning at 10:22 p.m. Eastern, or 7:22 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Statuario has won 3 of 10 starts, while the lightly-raced American Wolf, a winner of 2 of 7 starts, is rated as potential winner for his recent form. American Wolf won a maiden race at 1 1/4 miles in his sixth start on April 2 and his stakes debut in the Victorian St. Leger at 1 3/4 miles at Flemington in a 11-1 upset last Friday.

American Wolf closed from eighth of 12 to win the marathon St. Leger by a half-length.

The distance of the South Australian Derby should suit Lavalier who has won once in 11 starts, in a maiden race at Kembla Grange last July, but gained valuable course experience when he finished second by a half-length in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes at 1 1/4 miles for 3-year-olds at Morphettville last Saturday.

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