Australia: Personal faces the boys in South Australian Derby
Personal, a filly who starts against males in Saturday’s Group 1 South Australian Derby at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide, is unlucky not to be a multiple stakes winner.
Last Saturday, Personal was beaten a half-length in the Group 1 Australian Oaks at 1 1/4 miles at Morphettville, closing from 15th in a field of 16 to miss catching the 60-1 longshot Media Award.
The $390,449 South Australian Derby is run at 1 9/16 miles, and the distance should not be an issue for Personal, who is trained by the partnership of Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes. Last November, Personal won her first stakes in the Group 1 VRC Oaks at 1 9/16 miles at Flemington Racecourse.
:: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing
Personal, by Fastnet Rock, is one of two fillies in a field of 16 in the South Australian Derby, a race led by the two-time stakes winner Explosive Jack. As of Thursday, Explosive Jack was the 2-1 favorite in early betting, with Personal and Liqueuro at 9-2.
Explosive Jack won the Tasmanian Derby at 1 3/8 miles at Hobart Racecourse in February, and his most recent start in the Group 1 ATC Derby at 1 1/2 miles at Royal Randwick Racecourse on April 10. Similar to Personal, Explosive Jack is a threat from off the pace.
The South Australian Derby is the Group 1 debut for the improving Liqueuro, a winner of four of five starts. In the last seven weeks, Liqueuro has excelled in minor stakes at 1 3/8 miles at Bendigo on March 27 and 1 1/2 miles at Caulfield on April 10. Liqueuro set the pace at Caulfield, but often runs as a stalker.
Royal Mile, Montepulciano and Shebringzit are other runners with attractive Morphettville form, having swept the top three positions in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes at about 1 1/4 miles on April 24. Royal Mile won his fourth consecutive race and first group-level race in the Chairman’s Stakes.
Morphettville has a 10-race program, beginning at 10:10 p.m., Eastern, or 7:10 p.m., Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.