3 minute read

South Australian Derby off the table for the daughter of Contributer.

New Zealand filly Llanacord (Contributer) will in all likelihood stick to taking on her own sex in South Australia.

The New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) placegetter holds a nomination for the South Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) at Morphettville this weekend, but her trainer Stephen Nickalls said the filly is more likely to head to the South Australian Fillies Classic (Gr 3, 2500m) on May 15.

"She's in the Derby, but there's some very good horses like (Australian Derby winner) Explosive Jack in that race so I'm 99 percent sure she won't run in that," Nickalls said.

"She worked really well when I rode her on Tuesday and a Group 3 in Australia is well worth going for."

The form book says Llanacord finished 10th of 16 in the Australasian Oaks, but she was just three lengths behind the winner, Media Award (Shamus Award), and came from well off the pace to work home solidly in a messy race despite a genuine tempo. 

"We had hoped to be off the rail closer to the pace, but she jumped on the back foot a little bit and Brett Prebble decided to take her to the rail, which we thought was the best part of the track when we walked it earlier," Nickalls said.

"He was hoping some gaps would appear but there were none and by the time she got into the clear it was all over.

"I was really happy with the run given the circumstances," Nickalls said. "We know she will run a mile and a half well so the Fillies Classic will be a great last race for her this season."

Nickalls said no plans had been made for the filly's four-year-old campaign but he expected given her staying prowess that the middle distance cups races in New Zealand would be on the cards.