South Australia’s feature racing program ramps up this weekend, with three key Listed races acting as early guideposts heading towards big Group 1 features in coming weeks.
While none of Saturday’s races carry top level status themselves, they have proven time and again to be strong launching pads into Adelaide’s biggest features, particularly in the sprint and staying ranks.
Here is how each race fits into the bigger picture.
Get Mitch Lewis;’ full set of tips for the meeting here
Dequetteville Stakes 1050m 2YO Fillies
The Dequetteville Stakes is often the first look at the state’s emerging juvenile fillies, although historically it has not been a major pipeline into Group 1 success.
Recent winners such as Lincolnshire, Stretan Angel and See You In Heaven have used this race as a stepping stone through the local ranks rather than progressing to the very top level.
That trend is likely to continue this year, with most runners expected to stay within South Australia and target races like the Group 3 Breeders Stakes.
It is a race that identifies talent, but more often at a local level rather than producing headline acts later in the carnival.
| No | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | bet365 Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Never Ordinary | Byron Cozamanis | Ms Rochelle Milnes | 3 | $1.60 |
| 2 | Almost An Angel | Robbie Griffiths | Luke Currie | 6 | $5.50 |
| 4 | Image Artist | Patrick Caboche | Andrew Stead | 4 | $41 |
| 5 | Verzain | Phillip Stokes | Jacob Opperman | 8 | $8.50 |
| 6 | Churchill Rose | Andrew Gluyas | Ms Taylor Johnstone | 7 | $26 |
| 7 | Better Rein It In | Karen Byrnes | Ms Stacey Metcalfe | 9 | $34 |
| 8 | Celestaria | Henry Dwyer | Will Price | 10 | $17 |
| 9 | Nolabell | Aaron Bain & Ned Taylor | Jason Holder | 11 | $15 |
| 10 | Pure Pelt | Travis Doudle | Todd Pannell | 1 | $26 |
| 12 | Signed By A Kiss | Patrick & Michelle Payne | Jake Noonan | 12 | $26 |
Matrice Stakes 1200m 3YO+
The Matrice Stakes is where things begin to get serious from a Group 1 perspective.
Mares have dominated this race in recent seasons, winning six of the past ten editions, including the last three runnings. That pattern is worth noting given how often this race feeds directly into the major sprint features.
Recent winners Climbing Star and Another Award both used this race as a springboard into The Sangster and The Goodwood, performing strongly at the elite level.
While it is an open sex race, the strength of the mares profile suggests they are once again likely to hold a significant edge.
For those looking at carnival pathways, the traditional progression is through races like the Manihi Classic and the Irwin Stakes before stepping into Group 1 company.
This is the race on the program most likely to produce a genuine contender for the sprint features later in the carnival.
| No | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | bet365 Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansaw Kid | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Luke Currie | 1 | $3.20 |
| 2 | Chicago Storm | David Aldridge | Ms Rochelle Milnes | 6 | $13 |
| 3 | Power Beau | Wayne Brown | Ben Kennedy | 8 | $23 |
| 4 | Dirty Grin (NZ) | Nick Ryan | Todd Pannell | 3 | $10 |
| 5 | Great Maximus | Richard & Chantelle Jolly | Jake Toeroek | 4 | $15 |
| 6 | Rue De Royale (NZ) | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Jett Stanley | 9 | $10 |
| 7 | Mt Niseko | Chris Bieg | Jason Holder | 2 | $34 |
| 8 | Shadhavar | Tom Dabernig | Jacob Opperman | 5 | $2.60 |
| 9 | Thunder Shoc | Will Clarken | Ms Kayla Crowther | 7 | $10 |
Clare Lindop Stakes 1600m 3YO Fillies
The Clare Lindop Stakes shapes as the key early indicator for fillies targeting the staying features, particularly the Group 1 SA Oaks.
Recent winners such as Comanche Miss and As Time Goes By have followed the well worn path from this race into the Oaks, building through the distances as the preparation unfolds.
From here, the natural progression is into the Group 3 Auraria Stakes over 1800m, which provides a crucial test before stepping up to the 2000m of the Oaks.
This 1600m assignment should be viewed as the foundation run, giving a strong indication of which fillies are capable of stretching out to a staying trip later in the carnival.
| No | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | bet365 Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freedom Flame | Andrew Gluyas | Ms Taylor Johnstone | 2 | $17 |
| 2 | Mating Call | Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray | Ms Emily Finnegan | 14 | $5.50 |
| 3 | Dirty Old Town | Andrew Gluyas | Jason Holder | 11 | $6.50 |
| 4 | Oak Park Maddison | Travis Doudle | Ms Caitlin Tootell | 15 | $41 |
| 5 | Stung | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Luke Currie | 4 | $4.40 |
| 6 | Silvasista | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Ms Rochelle Milnes | 6 | $4.00 |
| 7 | Kakadu Sunset | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Jett Stanley | 1 | $11 |
| 8 | Star Of Omaha | Andrew Angelone | Will Price | 13 | $31 |
| 9 | Sicilian Princess | Richard & Chantelle Jolly | Jake Toeroek | 10 | $21 |
| 10 | Oui Oui Ma Cherie | Stuart Gower | Ms Teagan Voorham | 12 | $41 |
| 11 | Synthesise | Matthew Seyers | Ms Kayla Crowther | 5 | $17 |
| 12 | She’s Stargazing | Patrick Kearney | Jake Noonan | 8 | $101 |
| 13 | Big Rita June | Lewis & Eliza Grantham | Andrew Stead | 9 | $201 |
| 14 | Fringes (NZ) | Michael Hickmott | Jackson Murphy | 3 | $126 |
| 15 | Silent Answer | Phillip Stokes | Jacob Opperman | 7 | $26 |
All three races on Saturday may sit below Group 1 level, but they are far from throwaway events.
For punters and form analysts, they provide an early map of how the South Australian carnival is likely to unfold, with key clues around which runners are ready to take the next step when the stakes rise in the weeks ahead.
