Derby dream alive for South-East royalty
THE Derby dream is alive for exciting South East three-year-old Royal Mile after his Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes win at Morphettville on the weekend.
It was a confident ride by 17-year-old apprentice Jacob Opperman, who opted to spear Royal Mile to the lead before his brilliant turn of foot saw the Mount Gambier-trained gelding defy rivals up the Morphettville straight.
Trainer Lee Creek admitted he was slightly concerned seeing the horse leading, but when Opperman was able to control the middle stages of the race his confidence levels grew.
“By the time he probably got halfway, he racked them and stacked them beautifully (and) they were never going to get past him,’’ Creek said post-race.
“He’s so versatile.”
Interstate raiders controlled the early features. Incredulous Dream came off the speed to weave between runners and win the Nitschke Stakes for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, before a confident front-running ride by Damian Lane saw the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Groundswell score impressively in the City Of Adelaide Stakes.
And gutsy Godolphin filly Cloudy defied a big drift in betting to outlast rivals in the Breeders’ Stakes. Ridden by Todd Pannell she fought off a game effort by local Karacasu to continue her successful season.
Damien Lane took riding honours with a treble ahead of the 2021 Adelaide Racing Carnival hitting top gear this weekend with the Group 1 TAB Classic and Oaks taking centre stage at Morphettville.
Meanwhile superstar WA jockey William Pike has lodged paperwork with SA Health officials in a bid for a cross-border exemption so he can fulfil key Group 1 rides for Tony and Calvin McEvoy and the Godolphin team in both features.
