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SA Derby contender emerges, as Sunlight shines

The unearthing of a genuine South Australian Derby contender from a Murray Bridge stable and the appearance of a Group 1 superstar were among the highlights of Saturday’s Morphettville Parks meeting.

The comprehensive victory of Perfect Route in race 7 over 1550m underlined again that Mick Huxtable has an extremely promising galloper on his hands, with the $600,000 SA Derby – run over 2500m – firmly on the cards. Perfect Route is now headed towards the traditional Derby lead-up, the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas on Saturday week.

Meanwhile the McEvoy stable produced Sunlight for a track gallop between races on Saturday as she prepares to tackle the $600,000 TAB Classic (Robert Sangster Stakes) at Morphettville on May 2.

Stablemate Fleet Dancer led Sunlight by a big margin early in the gallop, before the champion mare reeled her in close to the line. Tony McEvoy told Racing.com his stable star – a winner of over $6 million – would trial twice before contesting the Group 3 Irwin Stakes at Morphettville a fortnight before the Group 1 assignment. Tony also said Sunlight could contest SA’s other Group 1 1200m sprint, The Furphy Goodwood, two weeks after the TAB Classic.

Elsewhere at a deserted Morphettville Parks on Saturday, jockey Paul Gatt landed a race-to-race double to start the day aboard Great Leveller (in the 2YO event) and Poysed to Rein, while trainer John Hickmott’s Adelaide Cup runner Turf Man proved too strong in the staying event over 2250, beating odds-on chance Classic Weiwei.

Also of note was Ethical Solution’s strong effort to notch a fourth consecutive win, with Black Type carnival events now in the picture for trainer Travis Doudle.

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