SA Derby 2015: Perth filly Delicacy sets sights on Melbourne spring carnival

OWNER Bob Peters will resist the temptation to press on with super filly Delicacy and instead could set her for a raid on the Melbourne spring carnival.

9.5.2015.Group 1 racing at Morphettville. Main race is $500,000 SA Derby.Winner no 16 ' Delicacy' jockey Peter Hall shows his excitement of the win. pic tait schmaal.

OWNER Bob Peters will resist the temptation to press on with his history-making filly Delicacy and instead could set her for a raid on the Melbourne Spring Carnival.

Peters had contemplated running the brilliant Perth three-year-old in Saturday’s $115,000 Group 3 William Hill SA Fillies Classic at Morphettville, such was the manner in which she dominated her male rivals in the $500,000 Group 1 SA Derby for leading West Australian hoop Peter Hall.

But 24 hours after Delicacy joined Zarita as the only horse to complete the Australasian Oaks-SA Derby double, Peters said his star performer was likely to be sent for a spell.

“I think that’ll be it for her at this stage,” Peters said.

“We’ll just monitor her over the next few days and see how she pulls up.

“But I think unless she’s bucking her brands off we won’t be doing too much else with her.”

Peters admitted he had been surprised by Delicacy’s progression under the astute care of trainer Grant Williams.

Delicacy delivers again for jockey Peter Hall. Picture: Tait Schmaal

He said she displayed similar traits to his wonderful middle-distance performer Old Comrade, who won almost $1.8 million and beat the champion Northerly in the 2002 Australian Cup.

“If you’ve got a stayer with that acceleration, they’re going to win a few races, aren’t they,” he said. “The last one I had who could do that was Old Comrade. He could always run 33 (seconds) for the last 600m at the end of any distance.

“I haven’t made any firm plans with her yet. I’ll talk to our handicapper back in Perth and see how she’s going to be rated now. I think that might be a bit of a stopper but we’ll talk to him first.

“Up until yesterday afternoon, I hadn’t thought much about the Spring Carnival. But the way she seems to handle everything, she may go on with it.

“I suppose we have to try, don’t we.”

Peter said Delicacy’s stunning feature-race double had erased some less pleasant memories of earlier trips to South Australia.

“It’s good when a plan comes off. The last time I came to Adelaide for a couple of big races about 10 years ago, one of them got a stone bruise then a half-hour later I got a call to say the other one had done a tendon,” he said.

“So we came here with a bit of trepidation this time. I think we’re ahead on the ledger now, though.”

Originally published as SA Derby 2015: Perth filly Delicacy sets sights on Melbourne spring carnival