South Australian Derby campaign continues at the Parks

As Stuart Gower approaches the latter stages of his training career, he is hopeful that Darknconfidential can deliver the Group 1 victory that has so far remained out of reach. The gelding is being aimed at the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville in May, with his next step being the SkyCity Handicap (1400m) at Morphettville Parks on Saturday. Gower, who has had only 10 Group 1 starters since the 1990s, came close to adding Darknconfidential to that list last spring. Originally targeted at the Victoria Derby, the gelding was instead given a break, a decision Gower now considers beneficial.

“He wasn’t quite mature enough last time because he’s a late November foal,” Gower explained. “We considered pushing on to the Derby, but in hindsight, the break was the right call. He’s come back bigger, stronger, and more mature, and we’re really excited about his progress.” Darknconfidential was spelled after finishing sixth in the Listed Hill Smith Stakes (1800m) at Morphettville in October. He resumed with a closing fifth over 1250m on the Parks track on February 15. While Gower acknowledges that running on the Parks track again isn’t ideal, Saturday’s race is a key step toward a potential start in the Listed Morphettville Guineas (1600m) on March 10.

“His performance on Saturday will determine whether he runs in the Guineas on Adelaide Cup Day,” Gower said. “The programming is a bit unusual. We have the mile on Adelaide Cup Day, then drop back to 1400 metres for the Nitschke Stakes, and then go up to the 1800 metres of the Port Adelaide Guineas. After that, there’s the Chairman’s Stakes and the Derby. It’s a strange setup early in the campaign.” Gower would have preferred Saturday’s race to be on the main Morphettville track, as Darknconfidential performed well first-up and has trained on strongly.

“The inner track isn’t ideal for him because he’s such a big horse, but the programming dictates where he needs to go,” Gower said. “I still think he can win, but he’d definitely perform better on the outer track. He’s a lovely horse, and I’m confident we’ll achieve our goals this time. He’s really developed into a fine horse.”