South Australian Derby on the Radar for Single Choice

Ready to Run Sale graduate Single Choice (Anders) is set to step on to the Group One stage after impressively passing his stamina test in the A$200,000 Listed Manhari Galilee Series Final (2400m) at Caulfield on Saturday. 

Single Choice was offered by Riversley Park at the 2024 Ready to Run Sale and was bought by Cumani Racing for $80,000. He has now had 10 starts for four wins, three placings and A$427,400 in stakes.

Single Choice’s victory in the Group Two Autumn Classic (1800m) earlier this year had his trainer Matt Cumani thinking about the A$1m Group One South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville on May 2. However, the son of speedy stallion Anders needed to prove that he could master the Derby distance.

Cumani gave him the opportunity to do that in Saturday’s Galilee Series Final, and Single Choice was up to the task.

After spending most of the race in second spot, jockey Jamie Mott sensed that the field was bunching up and the backmarkers were launching their bids before the home turn, and he urged Single Choice forward to stake his claim.

Single Choice held a narrow lead coming into the straight and found plenty more when called on through the final 300 metres, kicking away to score by a length and a quarter.

“I think we've got to go to Adelaide off that,” Cumani said. “This race was a bit of a test to see if he might get a Derby distance, and even though it might not have been a solidly run 2400m throughout, I think it's provided enough of a test to say that we can go there and give it a go.

“I was very nervous about whether he'd get the trip, but he got a beautiful ride by Motty. No speed early, but they went pretty solid from the 800m, even earlier than that, and he had to sustain a pretty hard run.

“He’s got that turn of foot, and that's really valuable for a horse that can get a bit of a trip.”