Everything fell into place for Escado during last Saturday’s Group 1 SA Derby (2500m) providing Mornington trainer Matt Laurie with his first top level success.
Escado’s two best career outings prior to last Saturday’s Derby came at the end of his last preparation when working home well in both the Geelong Classic and Victoria Derby.
The Casino Prince gelding was somewhat overlooked in betting for the SA Derby last Saturday after a safely held second at Geelong the run prior as Hvasstan stole the limelight.
Escado did appeal though rising in trip with the addition of blinkers for the first time and those who took the double figure odds about him were rewarded at the end of the 2500m staying test.
Under the guidance of Ben Melham, Escado was away smartly and settled well to sit seventh on the rails.
Melham kept Escado on the fence throughout and as their rivals peeled wide turning for home found themselves second upon straightening.
Escado then proceeded to assert his dominance over the field as he ran out the trip well for a one-and-three-quarter length win.
The more fancied pair of Hioctdane and Shoreham filled the minor placings.
Another favourite in Hvasstan was most disappointing, beaten 13 lengths.
The SA Derby isn’t a top shelf Group 1 contest and after an autumn where racing fans have been spoiled with the likes of Black Caviar, All Too Hard and Pierro, Escado’s winning figure of 111 seems insignificant.
Escado’s latest performance yielded him an equal master Timeform figure having run to that number when finishing sixth in the Victoria Derby (2500m) behind Fiveandahalfstar.
From an SA Derby perspective, it sits right on the previous five year winning average.
Prior SA Derby winners during that five year period include Zabeelionaire [2012], Shadows In The Sun [2011], Rebel Raider [2009] and Zarita [2008].
Zarita is arguably the pick of those winners as she went on to claim a pair of subsequent Group successes as a mare and a Group 1 placing in the Myer Classic (1600m) behind Typhoon Tracy.
Mummify possesses the highest winning Timeform figure of the SA Derby with his 2003 victory yielding a rating of 117.
The Lee Freedman-trained galloper went on with the job as an older horse with four Group 1 successes including the 2003 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and also the 2005 Singapore International Cup (2000m).
The overall quality of the SA Derby has dropped off when looking at the list of prior winners who have tasted subsequent Group 1 success such as Count Chivas [1995], Our Pompeii [1993] and of course Subzero who claimed the SA Derby/Melbourne Cup double in 1992.
With his two best career performances each coming over 2500m, a Cups campaign must be on the agenda for the Mornington-based three-year-old.
Escado’s Group 1 success over 2500m means he has passed the necessary ballot clauses for the Melbourne Cup (3200m) this year held on November 5.
