Real Punters Play Here: SA Derby

Posted on May 1, 2026May 1, 2026 | Posted by TABtouch

With four fillies in this year’s SA Derby, Brad Bishop looks into their record in the race, thanks to TABtouch.

The girls are gang-tackling this Saturday’s $1 million South Australian Derby with Strictly Business, After Summer, Silvasista and Kazaru to all contest the 2026 edition at Morphettville.

It is the heaviest representation of fillies in the 2518-metre Group 1 since four ran 15 years ago and a strong representation at that, with Silvasista ($4.60) and After Summer ($5) occupying the second and third lines of betting in a TABtouch market headed by first emergency Accidental Bid ($2.70).

It could just be coincidence, but it might also be that connections of the fillies have targetted the Derby given the edge that gender has had over the colts and geldings in recent years.

The girls are shooting for a hat-trick of wins following victories to Coco Sun and Femminile.

They followed Qafila (2018), Delicacy (2015) and Zarita (2008) as fillies to win of late, which is in contrast to the record of fillies in the race’s first couple of decades as an autumn event, which started in 1984.

Colin Hayes-trained filly Mapperley Heights won that edition, but Showella (1999) was the only other filly to score before Zarita.

Much of that could have been due to fillies having their own 2500m Group 1 – the South Australian Oaks – to target until 2004, but the appeal of that race diminished with its demotion to Group 3 level.

The Derby now looms large for fillies coming out of the Group 1 Australasian Oaks and two of this year’s set are backing up out of that 2000m event.

The past five fillies to win the Derby all had their previous start in the Australasian Oaks. Zarita and Delicacy completed the double, but the past three were all beaten in the Oaks – Coco Sun finished third, Qafila fourth and Femminile seventh.

That is the same position Kazaru, who like Famminile is trained by Phillip Stokes and carries the OTI Racing colours, finished last weekend, which was six spots ahead of Strictly Business.

The latter is a $14 chance in the TABtouch market, while Kazaru is at $31.

After Summer heads to the Derby off Group 1 placings in the Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) and ATC Oaks (2400m), while Silvasista is backing up after a dominant win in last Saturday’s VRC St Leger (2800m) at Flemington.

The St Leger was once THE guide to the Derby, producing eight winners between 1987 and 2007, including Shark’s Fin, Shiva’s Revenge, Count Chivas, Big Pat and Lazer Sharp, who all did the double.

But an SA Derby winner hasn’t come through the St Leger since Lazer Sharp in 2007 with third placings to Cool Chap and Runaway the best results.

The Chairman’s Stakes has taken over as the most prolific producer of Derby winners with seven of the past 17 rounding out their preparations in that 2000m Group 3, including Rebel Raider (2009), Howard Be Thy Name (2016), Leicester (2018) and Jungle Magnate (2022), who all did the double.

Last week’s Chairman’s Stakes winner Impulsive Reaction is looking to join them, joined by Flying Brant (third), Engine Of War (fourth), Wigmore (seventh) and Autumn Mystery (ninth) out of this year’s Chairman’s Stakes.

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