Australia: Escado rallies to upset South Australian Derby

Escado, a 13-1 outsider, rallied on the inside in the stretch to score an upset win in Saturday’s $520,000 South Australian Derby at Morphettville Racecourse, the first Group 1 win for the gelding.

Ridden by Ben Melham, Escado, who is by Casino Prince, won the South Australian Derby over 1 9/16 miles by 1 3/4 lengths over Hioctdane, a 9-2 chance. Shoreham, the 3-1 favorite, finished a nose behind Hioctdane in the field of 15 Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds.

Escado, who has won 3 of 14 starts, was fitted with blinkers for Saturday’s race, which trainer Matt Laurie credited in helping the gelding stay focused. The win in the South Australian Derby reversed a string of losses that included a sixth in the Group 1 Victorian Derby at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne last November.