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Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller’s Group 1-winning streak relies on outsider Savisanta in the Group 1 $1 million South Australian Derby (2518m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
Savisanta is Waller's only Derby runner as the champion trainer attempts to extend his extraordinary sequence of preparing at least one Group 1 winner each Saturday for the 10th consecutive week.
Waller's "streak" began with super mare Autumn Glow's win in the Verry Elleegant Stakes at Royal Randwick on February 28 and has continued right through the autumn with Panova's win in the Australasian Oaks last week the ninth successive Saturday he has led in at least one Group 1 winner.
The South Australian Derby is the only Group 1 race anywhere around the nation this weekend and Savisanta is rated a $34 chance in latest betting behind $2.80 favourite Accidental Bid, the first emergency who is still in danger of missing a start.
Waller conceded Savisanta ran below expectations last start when only 10th in Green Spaces's ATC Australian Derby at Royal Randwick .
"Savisanta was disappointing when he came to Sydney for the Derby but it was a soft track,'' Waller said.
"He has a wide draw at Morphettville and needs to improve.''
Savisanta starts out of barrier 16 in the Derby but a wide gate didn't stop stablemate Panova winning the Oaks last week.
If Savisanta does cause an upset Derby win, it will be Waller's 20th Group 1 win for 2025-26, breaking the all-time record for most majors in a season he first achieved in 2024-25.
Waller's stable earnings this season are also set to smash the $70 million barrier on Saturday, another national record.
| CHRIS WALLER'S GROUP 1 STREAK | ||
| February 28 | Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes | Autumn Glow |
| March 7 | Group 1 Canterbury Stakes | Joliestar |
| March 14 | Group 1 Coolmore Classic | Lazzura |
| March 21 | Group 1 George Ryder Stakes | Autumn Glow |
| Group 1 Ranvet Stakes | Aeliana | |
| Group 1 Rosehill Guineas | Autumn Boy | |
| March 28 | Group 1 Tancred Stakes | Aeliana |
| April 4 | Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes | Joliestar |
| Group 1 ATC Sires Produce Stakes | Campione D'Italia | |
| April 11 | Group 1 ATC Australian Oaks | Ohope Wins |
| April 18 | Group 1 Champagne Stakes | Fireball |
| Group 1 All Aged Stakes | Beiwacht | |
| April 25 | Group 1 Australasian Oaks | Panova |
BLACK TYPE AROUND THE WIDE BROWN LAND
There's stakes racing in all five mainland states around the nation on Saturday.
The Group 1 South Australian Derby meeting is the highlight meeting and also boasts two Listed races, the Port Adelaide Cup and Adelaide Guineas.
Hawkesbury's stand-alone meeting celebrates its 20th year and has four stakes races – Hawkesbury Gold Cup, Hawkesbury Crown and Hawkesbury Guineas all at Group 3 level and the Listed Hawkesbury Rush.
At Eagle Farm, there are three stakes races including the Victory Stakes and Queensland Guineas, both with Group 2 status.
The Bendigo meeting has two Listed races, the Bendigo Guineas and Golden Mile, while Ascot has the Group 3 WA Sires Produce Stakes.
A WIN FOR THE LOCALS?
Brad Widdup has the opportunity to become only the second local trainer this century to win his home track Group 3 $250,000 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) after Hyperbolic secured a start.
With the scratching of Sea King, first emergency Hyperbolic is in the field leaving Widdup to make a tough decision.
Dual acceptor Hyperbolic is drawn to start out of barrier 16 in the Cup but the mare is perfectly positioned in barrier two for the Clarendon Tavern Handicap which closes out the Hawkesbury stand-alone meeting.
Hyperbolic is at $71 for the Hawkesbury Gold Cup but is at $12 for the much easier benchmark 88 race.
If Widdup elects to start Hyperbolic in the Hawkesbury Gold Cup, he will be the only Hawkesbury-based trainer with a runner in the big race.
The last local trainer to win the Hawkesbury Gold Cup was Jason Attard with Sons Of John in 2015.
Widdup also has promising two-year-old Tenenbaum ($1.40 favourite) entered for the Clarendon Stakes (1400m) and stablemates Audrey's Lane ($7) and Bella Khadijah ($12) in the Midway Handicap (1500m).
"Tenenbaum is a nice young horse and I hope he can keep going the right way,'' Widdup said.
"He's done everything right since his win at Wyong, his work has been good during the week.
"Audrey's Lane is racing well and she is our number one seed for the Midway.
"Bella Khadijah finds it hard to win at this level with her racing pattern but she has to run in these races, I can't duck and weave with her."
THE BRISBANE CARNIVAL KICK OFF
The Victory Stakes and Queensland Guineas meeting at Eagle Farm signals the start of Brisbane's multi-million dollar autumn-winter carnival.
The likelihood of a rain-affected track – Eagle Farm was rated a soft 7 late on Friday – is a significant boost to the chances of Joe Pride's in-form mare In Flight.
An impressive last start winner of the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes during The Championships at Royal Randwick last month, In Flight handles all tracks but is particularly effective on soft-heavy going.
In Flight ran a slick 1m 09.02s for the Randwick 1200m on a good track at her most recent run but her eight previous wins had been on rain-affected tracks.
In Flight also has a race fitness edge over her rivals with seven of her 12 opponents resuming from a spell in the Victory Stakes.
Pride's talented mare is good each way value at $13 in latest betting where brilliant sprinter Private Harry is the $3.20 favourite ahead of 2024 Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot at $4.80.
ASCOT FOR CAMELOT
Lady Of Camelot can go a long way to confirming her place in the Australian team of sprinters for Royal Ascot with a competitive comeback effort in the Victory Stakes.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Lady Of Camelot hasn't won a race since her Golden Slipper triumph and her Eagle Farm return is her first start in 14 months.
But Lady Of Camelot has been trialling well in Sydney and her trainers are confident the mare will do enough in the Victory Stakes and then the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 in two weeks to lock in her English campaign.
MORE ASFOORA SUCCESS?
Asfoora, one of five Australian sprinters being aimed at Royal Ascot next month, resumes racing in the Group 3 Palace House Stakes over five furlongs (a1000) at Newmarket in England on Saturday night.
The brilliant mare lines up in the Palace House Stakes under the care of Lemos De Souza. She will be back under trainer Henry Dwyer's name for Royal Ascot.
Asfoora is going to have two starts to prepare for the Group 1 King Charles III (formerly King's Stand) Stakes on June 16, day one of Royal Ascot.
She won the King Charles III Stakes two years ago then returned to Europe last year and added two more Group 1 wins to her record in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York and the Prix de L'Abbaye at Longchamp.
Dwyer decided to leave Asfoora in England over the northern hemisphere winter to ready her for Royal Ascot again.
The other Australian-trained sprinters being set for Royal Ascot after Chris Waller's Joliestar and Generosity, Overpass from the Bjorn Baker stable, and Lady Of Camelot.
THE ENGLISH CLASSICS BEGIN
The Newmarket meeting also features the first of England's three-year-old classics, the 2000 Guineas over a mile (a1600m).
Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby, represented by talented Distant Storm and unbeaten King's Trail, has won three of the last four renewals of the Guineas and is chasing a hat-trick of wins after Ruling Court (2025) and Notable Speech (2024). He also won with Coroebus (2022).
Irish maestro Aidan O'Brien is chasing a record-extending 11th win in the 2000 Guineas with Gstaad, winner of the US Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf late last year.
Unbeaten Bow Echo, trained by George Boughey, won the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes over the Rowley Mile course at Newmarket to close out his two-year-old career, and is the early favourite for the Guineas.