There was a time when the South Australian Derby winner was immediately installed by bookmakers as a leading Melbourne Cup fancy for the following spring, sometimes the outright favourite.
While those days have long passed, the race still regularly brings to the fore a top three that will stick around and win some good races, not always staying races either!
Sometimes those races are a lot better than just “good” . It was six years ago that Danny O'Brien trained the import Russian Camelot to SA Derby glory, followed by two G1 seconds and victory in the G1 Underwood at WFA in the spring, and a brave third in the Cox Plate.'
Now a young sire at Widden, Russian Camelot has made a highly promising beginning to his stud career and we don't often say that about a SA Derby winner - Rebel Raider in 2011 would be the next in line of colts who have graduated to stud success, and before him - a long drought.
This year Ciaron Maher is attempting to “do a Camelot” with another exciting import, the raging favourite Accidental Bid ( Phoenix Of Spain) - if he can get into the field!
Inaugurated all the way back in 1860 and run the long defunct Thebarton racecourse in Adelaide town, this historic Classic was first called the Therbarton Derby. It ran over a mile and a half and offered a purse of 100 sovereigns.
It was a four year old mare named Midnight who emerged triumphant. This mare was the property of the noted pastoralist C B Fisher, who with his brother Hurtle, was the prominent bloodstock breeder of his age. The brothers imported the famous stallion and dual Ascot Gold Cup winner Fisherman ( winner of 70 of his 121 starts!) who would become a genuine breedshaper of the early Australian thoroughbred.
Fisherman died young after only four seasons in Australia, during which he served a mere twenty three mares. From them sprang the winners of three Derbies, four Oaks, three St Legers and four Ascot Vale Stakes ( the major juvenile race of the time) and a legacy of success in the studbook.
Charles (CB) Fisher was the first Mayor of Adelaide and a founding member of the SAJC. He was an accomplished horseman and rode at the very first race meeting ever held in Adelaide.
His Maribyrnong Stud ( owned with brother Hurtle) dominated the Victorian breeding scene in the 1870s and 1880s, and he was also a chairman of the fledgling VRC for some years.
The CB Fisher Plate at weight for age was a prestigious staying race run at Flemington since the 1870s, and was won by many - if not most - of the true legends of the Australian Turf, including nine Melbourne Cup winners.
Regrettably, this race ceased to exist in 1978 and was replaced by the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, which was moved from the early autumn to the VRC spring carnival.
C B Fisher's inaugural Derby victress Midnight was a bonny mare - she also claimed two editions of the SA St Leger Stakes. Her damline was that of the Manto (18) family which would prove to be so influential in the decades to come. When Midnight was mated to Fisherman she produced the good colt Smuggler, who went on to sire the 1883 SA Derby winner Dirk Hatteraick, but she left no daughters to successfully carry on her branch of a great family.
Only two years after Midnight galloped to victory the race was known simply as The Derby, but from 1869 - 1875 it was not held.
When racing resumed in 1876 The Derby was run at the new Morphettville racecourse, which has been its home ever since. Only five years later it was won by The Assyrian, who would charge to victory in the 1882 Melbourne Cup.
The SA Derby ran in the spring until 1984.
The 1895 SA Derby was won by the great filly Auraria, who also claimed the VRC Oaks, Melbourne Cup and CB Fisher Plate in a brutal three year old season in which she also squeezed in a third to champion Wallace in the VRC Derby, just three days before her Cup victory! The mighty daughter of Trenton went on to further success as a broodmare.
Only five horses have done the VRC / SA Derby double - F.J.A, Dayana, Stormy Rex, Brewery Boy and Rebel Raider.
In 2026 it is the reigning VRC Oaks heroine Strictly Business ( Grunt) who will attempt to take an even rarer double. She is the only G1 winner in the field.
Dundeels of both sexes have won two of the past three SA Derbies, but he's resting on his laurels and giving others a look in this year. Thankfully there's no shortage of the Zabeel factor on offer!
Savabeel hasn't cracked it for a win with this Derby yet, having sired runner up Savvy Oak and appeared as damsire of placegetters Warmonger and Best Case. The great son of Zabeel fields the Waller trained Savisanta for this edition ( and is broodmare sire of a couple) while his son Embellish has roughie Kazaru.
Zabeel as a broodmare sire has been responsible for placegetters Air Assault, Aberfeldie Boy, Werther and Red Lord, but no winner yet. Can Arabian Prince ( Ghaiyyath) change that?
We’ve got Lonhro on both sides of pedigrees - his male line is responsible for Wigmore ( Sweynesse) and he is the damsire of Engine Of War ( by Galileo's exciting son Circus Maximus)
Lonhro's son Pierro is the damsire of Kiwi Raider Geneva ( Time Test)
Maurice is generally a Derby presence and has two progressive sons, Amazake and Cannae to go into battle for him here.
The Autumn Sun has had much success with his daughters in the SA Classics and the stylish After Summer, who has placed in both VRC and ATC Oaks, will attempt to add to that record. Far less fancied by punters is the “son of Sun”, Autumn Mystery, who gets some headgear for the first time.
Toronado is known for getting a fast sprinting filly but what about the way his daughter Silvasista blew them away in the 2800m VRC St Leger! The striking grey drops back in distance while everyone else is going up. Will that be a plus or a negative for her?
Single Choice ( Anders), Impulsive Reaction ( Shamus Award), Kaye Jay ( Crackerjack King), and likely leader Flying Brant ( Flying Artie) round out a Derby field that really has got a bit of everything! It makes for a fascinating Classic contest.
Who will join this impressive list of names - Marco Polo, Gatum Gatum, Ziema, English Wonder, Mapperley Heights, Shiva's Revenge, Our Pompeii, Count Chivas, Showella, Mummify, Pantani, Lazer Sharp, Zarita, Rebel Raider, Delicacy, Russian Camelot, Explosive Jack, and the immortal “Subbie” (Subzero) - the last horse to complete the SA Derby / Melbourne Cup double?
It surely won’t be as wet as Subbie liked it, but some showers are forecast on race day so a nice bit of give in the ground should be the go by the time the Derby runs!
Top Tip: ENGINE OF WAR (NZ)
Engine Of War was down the track behind Observer in the G1 VRC Derby but it all came too soon for the big, raw son of Galileo's champion Circus Maximus - nor did he experience much luck in the run.
Third at his only start in NZ for Andrew Forsman, the horse was purchased by micro-share syndicator MyRacehorse through bloodstock agent Andrew Williams, but trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr had also scouted out the impressive youngster and were chasing him down at the same time!
All parties concerned joined forces and here they are ready for another crack at a G1 Derby.
Engine Of War was originally purchased by Forsman for $50,000 from the draft of Ohukia Lodge at the NZB Ready To Run Sale.
After a win at Sandown on his Australian debut, the gelding was a narrow runner up to Autumn Mystery in the Derby Preview at Flemington before immaturity caught up with him.
The big Engine comes to the SA Derby fourth up and off a fast closing fourth from the back of the field in the traditional lead up, last week's G3 Chairman’s Stakes.
It’s the same path his trainers used with Jungle Magnate, the Derby hero of 2022. That galloper won the Chairman's.
The duo also trained Warmonger, fifth in the Chairman's and an unlucky runner up to Coco Sun in the Derby who then went on to bolt in the QLD Derby by ten and a half lengths!
Engine Of War strikes me as a similar type of horse to him, just a natural endurance athlete that is conditioned to stay rather than trained to stay.
Engine Of War's sire, Galileo's triple G1 winning miler Circus Maximus, has burst out of the blocks for Windsor Park Stud, with 2026 G1 NZ Derby winner Road To Paris and last week's G1 Australasian Oaks third Paltrow Miss spearheading an exciting first crop to race, which includes Listed winner Circus Dancer, G2 runner upTowering Vision and G3 runner up Circus Trix.
His two G1 Classic gallopers are out of Savabeel mares.
With Engine Of War we get that Zabeel blood via the great Lonhro.
His dam Prove Your Worth was bred by Gooree Park Stud and exported to NZ. She was one of eight named foals produced for Gooree by the Listed Triscay Stakes winner Kiss From A Rose ( Encosta De Lago) - her daughter Touch Of Red ( Fastnet Rock) became Dam of the G1 Tatts Tiara winner Palaispan ( So You Think), tragically her only foal.
Palaispan is now part of the Arrowfield broodmare band and had a Zoustar filly before being served by The Autumn Sun.
Kiss From A Rose is a half sister to G2 winner Smart Missile ( sire of 26 SW to date) and to stakes winner Surge Ahead ( by the damsire of Circus Maximus, Danehill Dancer) from the 2002 Gooree import Comical Smile (Comic Strip). This long serving matron at Gooree died in 2024 having gifted the famous nursery with ten foals. Her three daughters are all retained.
The next dam along is Fappiano's Explosive, the dam of Encosta's champion sprinter and sire Northern Meteor, a three quarter brother to Kiss From A Rose - and of stakes winner / producer Queen Of The Hill and Listed Underwood Cup winner Rabbuka.
Note this last galloper ended up going over the jumps, this branch of the family ( Rough Shod 5h ) isn't all about speed!
But of course it is also the immediate tribe of Sadler's Wells, Fairy King, Nureyev etc etc etc. It's arguably the greatest sire making family of them all.
Engine Of War is bred
Blue Hen Fairy Bridge 4m x 4m via full brothers Sadler's Wells and Fairy King, and
Is sex balanced to her dam Special via their three quarter brother Nureyev and, descends from Moccasin, a full sister to Thong, the dam of Special, through her daughter Scuff by Forli (sister in blood to Special)
Here's something a bit interesting! The ill fated dual Derby champion Riff Rocket was bred from a mare by Smart Missile,and his grand dam was by Lonhro. Riff Rocket's Triple Crown winning sire American Pharoah is by Pioneer Of The Nile, ex a Lord At War daughter - as is the dam of Circus Maximus.
The Argentinian bred Lord At War is sex balanced to both Hyperion and Petition and carries the Aristophanes son Atlas. This makes him a rich nick for all the tribe descending from the Blue Hens above, and for Lonhro, who descends from a Forli son.
Zabeel loves Petition and the blood is part of what makes up the Eight Carat nick which produced Blue Hen Cotahele House, who is of course the ancestress of Northern Meteor's outstanding son Deep Field.
The high class damline of Circus Maximus descends from the stakes placed Secretariat mare Lady Wimborne, a half sister to the great Allez France and to her half brother Noble Bijou, for many years a fixture in the pedigrees of top Australasian stayers. It's a branch of the La Troienne family via her grand daughter Searching by Hail To Reason.
Galileo's dam Urban Sea was by Lombard, a close relative of Vaguely Noble who sired Noble Bijou.
Lord At War's sire General is bred x 6 to his own family ( Marchetta 1w) via Sweet Lavender, and Galileo carries the stallion Espresso by Acropolis, a grandson of Sweet Lavender's full sister Rose Red. This is also the family of My Babu and Turn-To (tail male line of Sir Tristram, Hail To Reason)
The third damsire of Circus Maximus, the Preakness winner Little Current (Sea-Bird) is from the Lily Agnes (16-h) branch of the 16 family, is out of a My Babu mare and genetically has much in common with Zabeel.
Star Way, Miswaki, Red Ransom, Alydar and Fappiano all contribute Classic strength to this pedigree as does linebreeding to Blue Hen Somethingroyal ( Secretariat, Sir Gaylord).
Sex balanced are - Hail To Reason, Never Bend, Mr Prospector, Northern Dancer, Native Dancer, Nearctic, Sir Ivor and more.
Dan Stackhouse jumps aboard Engine Of War and they’ll be building the revs from barrier 8.
Roughie: KAYE JAY
Kaye Jay is a lightly raced son of the beautifully bred Italian Derby winner Crackerjack King (IRE) who impressed with a G1 Underwood Stakes third to Foreteller and Happy Trails in his brief Australian racing career. Having raced in Italy, GB, France and the USA, the entire was imported in 2014 as a potential Cups horse by Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock and trained by David Hayes, who considered him to be “a genuine G1 horse.”
The handsome grey was a very fast middle distance campaigner. Though a winner of the 2200m G2 Italian Derby at three, he claimed his G1 win at 2000m.
Crackerjack King is a half brother to globetrotting G1 winner and much-missed sire Jakkalberry who placed third in the Melbourne Cup. In an all too brief stud career he sired the G1 ATC / SA Derby hero Explosive Jack who trained on to win a Sydney Cup, as well as the G3 Lord Reims Stakes winner Highland Jakk and NZ Derby placed Regal Lion among his seven stakes winners.
These well-travelled half brothers were two of three G1 winners among five stakes winners ( most of them enjoying Classic success at three) from the ten winners produced by their dam, a true Blue Hen - the Barathea daughter Claba Di San Jore. Her damline is that of Crenelle, a stakes winning full sister (by the great Classic sire Crepello) from the dual Oaks winner Mulberry Harbour, to the grand old NZ stallion Crest Of The Wave who appeared in many a good staying pedigree.
Crenelle is the ancestress of Mahler (placed in the Melbourne Cup as a NH 3YO) and this year's all-the-way Sydney Cup winner Changingoftheguard. This is also the family of the Italian champion and fantastic broodmare sire Cerreto and another mighty broodmare sire, Summertime. The hallmark of the family - fast stayers.
Crackerjack King stands at Wyndholm Park at Miner's Rest in Victoria, where the son of breedshaper Shamardal has received very limited opportunities. He is yet to sire a stakes winner but wouldn't a G1 Derby winner be a nice way to get that ball rolling.
Kaye Jay is a homebred for prominent Victorian breeders Barry and Barb Saunders, who bred him from their winning High Chaparral mare Kaye Club, and the family is one they have enjoyed much success with.
Kaye Jay is the third foal from the mare who has two to race, both talents - her first the filly Brave Miss ( Rebel Raider) has won five races up to 2000m and was runner up in the G2 Queen Of The South Stakes at Morphettville last weekend.
Kaye Club presented the Saunders with two Crackerjack King fillies in 2022/23 before missing a couple of seasons. She is currently in foal to Shamus Award.
Kaye Club is one of four winners from the fine O'Reilly mare Rathsallagh ( a winner at 2400m and runner up in the G1 Queensland Oaks when it was run at that distance), who died in 2022.
Her son Eureka Street ( Street Cry) won seven races out to 2400m, while daughter Belle Savoir (Not A Single Doubt) won three and was runner up in the G2 Doomben Roses. She is retained but yet to produce a foal.
Rathsallagh's final foal Dalton Dancer ( Russian Revolution) is also retained and is in foal to Crackerjack King.
Rathsallagh's dam Star Of Amarissa (by champion and dual Derby winner Assert) also produced her talented full brother Paddy O'Reilly and the Listed Warstep Stakes winner Te Akau Sun.
Her dam was the winning Alydar mare Amarissa, dam of six winners - her best the stakes winning Danehill colt and sire Danasuria.
This family descends from the Irish One Thousand Guineas / GB Falmouth Stakes winner Favoletta from Violetta by Pinza, a half sister to the dam of Epsom Derby hero and champion Teenoso, and to the dam of the Irish Oaks winner Give Thanks.
They were all foaled by the Nasrullah daughter Urshalim and this family ( 3-c) is just packed with Euro staying class.
Kaye Jaye's damline is that of Choisir's 4 x European G1 winner Olympic Glory, Epsom Derby winner Sir Percy and Robert Sangster's world champion stayer Rule Of Law - as well as filly Wowee ( Choisir) who won the 2500m SA Fillies Classic.
There is absolutely no doubt about the stamina cred here.
At just his fifth race start, the Clayton Douglas trained Kaye Jaye tackled the G1 ATC Derby where he beat home the VRC Derby winner Observer (5th) in finishing fourth on the very choppy track, a run made even more meritorious by the fact he copped a check when making ground.
With that experience under his belt, and ticking over with a month between runs, I reckon the extra 100m and slightly firmer ground will be very much to Kay Jaye's liking. He looks like such a natural born stayer.
A winner at his second start and G2 placed in the Alistair Clark Stakes (in which he beat home a number of his Derby rivals) prior to his Sydney trip , Kay Jaye's record currently stands at 5 1-1-1 for earnings of $205,850.
The progressive gelding seeks to become the fourth G1 winner for his Mornington trainer, who puts the polish on the mighty Giga Kick.
Douglas had apparently formed an opinion of Kaye Jaye as “completely hopeless” on what he showed early on in his trials, but he's now daring to dream about Flemington in the Springtime!
Kaye Jay is bred
Sadler's Wells 4m x 3m
Shirley Heights 5f x 5m sex balanced
The great matriarch Illuminata (1-l) underpins this pedigree as the ancestress of Shamardal, of the sex balanced Shirley Heights and of High Chaparral, the latter descending from her greatest daughter, Chelandry (1-n). Yet another key individual in this pedigree, Darshaan,carries six lines in all of this family.
Blue Hen Lalun is another all-pervasive presence via sons Never Bend and Bold Reason. Never Bend son Mill Reef and his son Shirley Heights are sex balanced, while Shamardal chips in with a line of Riverman and the duplicated Sadler's Wells provides Bold Reason.
Kay Jaye's grand dam Rathsallagh was bred 4f x 4f to Blue Hen Irish Lass, grand dam of both Last Tycoon and Assert. Assert's sire Be My Guest is from her tribe (8-c) and is a closer relative of Storm Cat, Shamardal's tail male line.
Irish Lass was herself bred to Blue Hen Nogara via half brothers Nearco and Niccolo Dellarca and we can see similar patterns all through this pedigree - notably Crackerjack King's ancestress Crenelle was bred 4m x 4f to her own fourth dam Malva, while his fifth damsire Caro was by Fortino ( Nogara x 2 and descended from her)
Key linebreeding subjects are Bold Ruler, Hail To Reason, Bull Lea, Raise A Native, Palestine, Pinza and the Frizette family to which belong Mr Prospector, Darshaan, Djebel and his son Djeddah ( Lalun's damsire) and Kay Jaye's sixth damsire Baldric.
Mark Zahra sticks with Kay Jaye, who races at Morphettville for the first time. He is bred to love the place!
The dynamic duo will jump from barrier 12.
Roughie - ARABIAN PRINCE
A son of boom sire Ghaiyyath (Dubawi) out of a Zabeel mare from a real dyed in the wool Kiwi staying family, Arabian Prince is bred for every inch of 2500m and beyond, and is trained by Michael Kent out of Cranbourne.
Currently his record reads 7-1-1-1 for earnings of $104,000
Arabian Prince is a homebred for Illowra Stud and is the last of nine foals from their unplaced Zabeel daughter Princess Regina, who was retired from stud duties in 2024 and completely belied her own lack of racetrack ability as a producer.
All but two of her nine foals were winners and included the Listed Galilee Series Final winner Royal Crown (Helmet) and runner up in the same race, Oncidium Ruler (Strategic), both exceedingly tough stayers. Two of her daughters are retained at Illowra, with well bred youngsters on the ground by Inference, Russian Camelot, Ghaiyyath and Gold Trip.
Arabian Prince became the third son to feature in the Galilee Series Final with his brave last start second after he was slowly away. Can he do what his half brothers couldn't, and make the step up to G1 Classic company?
Certainly, European HOTY Ghaiyyath absolutely oozes the type of bloodlines required, as opposed to the sires of the other two.
Princess Regina was a descendant of the grand staying mare Princess Mellay by the mighty Mellay, winner of the NZ Oaks and two New Zealand Cups, dam of the 3 x G1 winning stayer in Australia Prince Majestic by Noble Bijou, a three quarter brother to the dam of Arabian Prince.
This family is that of the imported Midia foaled in 1846 and is a branch of 3-b to which belongs the great Argentinian stallion Forli and Le Sancy, the paternal grandsire of The Tetrarch, sire of the studbook matriarch Mumtaz Mahal.
Ghaiyyath descends from a daughter of Forli's grandson Thatching ( damsire Abernant a grand son of Rustom Mahal ) who is a son of Thatch, full brother to Special, the grand dam of Sadler's Wells.
Zabeel sex balances Special via Nureyev.
The classic Kiwi stayers of years gone by, NZ Derby winners Ring The Bell and Sir Silver Lad, hailed from this Australasian branch of the Midia family.
Arabian Prince is bred
Northern Dancer 5m x 5m
Other members of the various number 3 families to play a prominent role in this pedigree are Indian Ridge, Dancing Brave, Fall Aspen's sire Pretense and Norseman.
Arabian Prince is linebred to Blue Hen Belle Sauvage, the third dam of Vaguely Noble and second dam of Lombard who sired Galileo's ancestress Allegretta, and this occurs in combination with a cross of Acropolis in Galileo, and his half brother Alycidon x2, their close relative Sayani and Sayani's half brother My Babu all carried in the damlines of Arabian Prince.
This is a pedigree which neatly blends the old type of “Cups horse” with the newer version. Who knows, it might take this gelding all the way to the first Tuesday in November!
But first - can Arabian Prince claim another Derby crown for Ghaiyyath?
Arabian Prince and Jamie Melham will be looking to get back and steam home from barrier 19.
Blowout: KAZARU (NZ)
The least fancied of the fillies in the 2026 SA Derby field is this daughter of Cambridge Stud's impeccably bred, G1 winning Savabeel son Embellish, who collected the NZ 2000 Guineas at just his fourth race start and is full brother to the G1 winning filly Diademe.
Kazaru is one of his six stakes winners to date.
She was a cheapie - a $27,500 Karaka Book 2 buy for OTI / Phill Kataldo Bloodstock from Cambria Park.
The petite but attractive filly was duly placed with Phillip Stokes, who knows her family well.
Kazaru is the one of two stakes winners from four to race, all winners, out of the unraced Paulette, a daughter of Danehill's G1 The Goodwood winning sprinter Keeper.
He became a multiple G1 sire of amongst others, the NZ Oaks winners Keep The Peace and Midnight Oil, and QLD Oaks winner Miss Keepsake.
Kazaru's half brother is the 2022 Adelaide Cup hero / Sydney Cup placed Daqiansweet Junior, also trained by Stokes. Another of her half brothers has won beyond 3000m, so the stamina question is partly answered there.
Indeed, Kazaru was slightly one paced to the line in the G1 Australasian Oaks which I rather like to see when 2500m is the next start on the cards - it was a similar run to that produced by Femminile last year before her Derby triumph.
Stakes placed at just her second race start over 1400m as a juvenile, Kazaru has always shown good ability. She easily won the Listed Tasmanian Oaks at her third start of this preparation and is now rock hard fit.
For their very modest investment, her connections can look with satisfaction upon her record of 9 starts for 2 wins, 2 placings and $180,560 banked to date, plus the increase in her value as a breeding prospect!
Kazaru's dam Jodhi ( Crested Wave) was like her dam, unraced and a very modest producer, none of her foals won.
Next dam Tiger Lily ( Sovereign Edition) was unplaced but is the grand dam of the champion NZ filly Veloce Bella and other black type performers.
This old Kiwi family goes back to Glengowrie ( family 1-t) the dam of the G1 Coronation Stakes winner Highland Lassie and her half sister Frou Frou who was exported to Australia - this is Kazaru's line.
This family has always produced great fillies, and often the stallions who specialise in siring them.
From Highland Lassie descends our modern day champion mare Via Sistina and the sires Archway, Dr Devious, Markofdistinction, Shinko King, Stay Gold, Pierro, recently retired Derby hero Observer (out of Pierro’s full sister) and the sire of our current freak filly Sheza Alibi, Saxon Warrior!
Frankel's G1 winning son Chaldean who shuttles to Cambridge Stud is another member of this tribe.
A half sister to Highland Lassie, Maid Of The Glen is the ancestress of the mighty Montjeu.
Kazaru's branch of Glengowrie from Frou Frou which came to Australasia is the humble cousin of this tribe, but still - a tribe is a tribe and they each have their unique strengths locked in, even when somewhat dormant.
The magic Savabeel / O'Reilly cross carried by Embellish might be just the ticket to wake things up!
Kazaru is bred
Sir Tristram 4m,4f x sex balanced
His Majesty x5f,5m sex balanced
She is linebred to My Babu daughters ( Sir T, Damascus) and to sons Better Boy x 2, and Crozier.
Crozier is a close relative of Semipalatinsk carried by Savabeel, and the dam of “Semi” was bred on the same cross as he ( closely related sires Turn-To and My Babu)
There is lots to like about this sweet filly even if she can’t match the career cred of the likes of Strictly Business ( the only G1 winner in the Derby field) and the strikingly beautiful, dual G1 Oaks placed After Summer, or even the runaway VRC St Leger heroine Silvasista, at this stage.
A few of the forecast showers would also be to her liking. Barrier draw looks horrendous on paper, but she's a get back and run on type, so over this trip just needs a little luck to secure a decent run.
Kazaru and Jacob Opperman will jump from barrier 20 ( before scratchings)
