ANY doubts about Harleymoven’s Derby credentials were erased with his dominant win in the Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
The Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray-trained galloper was perfectly ridden by Ryan Hurdle from a good barrier, working into the clear on straightening and charging away from rivals with an emphatic four length win.
The stable will now progress to the 2000m of the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes in a fortnight ahead of a tilt at the Group 1 SA Derby at Morphettville on May 14.
Frankel filly My Whisper enhanced her claims for the Group 1 Australasian Oaks in two weeks’ time with her big win in the Auraria Stakes.
Despite being caught wide throughout the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained filly powered away from rivals in the home straight with Will Price in the saddle to defeat Bon’s A Pearla and the heavily backed Mac ‘N’ Cheese.
Meanwhile the red-hot form of the Richard and Chantelle Jolly continued with a treble that included the Listed Dequetteville Stakes for the two-year-old fillies.
Aitch Two Oh was heavily backed to run favourite before her stablemate See You In Heaven bounced back from a disappointing first-up run on Adelaide Cup Day to race over the top of rivals with Paul Gatt in the saddle.
Their three winners also saw a milestone for former South African rider Callan Murray who landed his first city success aboard Rodeo, a horse Jolly plucked from the Magic Millions Sale for just $4000.
“A nice cheap buy from the Magic Millions we own herself, she’s certainly paid for herself,’’ Richard Jolly said post-race.
The Jolly stable hold a commanding eight-win lead in the Adelaide Trainer Premiership having trained 28 winners form their past 100 runners, striking at 25 per cent over the past year.
The stable has taken things to an even greater level in April and March with 16 winners from 43 starters with a winning strike-rate of 37.5 per cent.
