Ballarat based trainer Dan O’Sullivan will have a runner in the South Australian Derby, but he would prefer it not to be the case.
O’Sullivan has High Approach in his name for the Group 1 Classic over 2500m at Morphettville on Saturday following a suspension handed to Archie Alexander by the Victorian Racing Tribunal last week.
Alexander had a six-week suspended suspension hanging over his head from a previous case which was enacted after pleading guilty when a horse in his care returned a positive swab last October.
The positive swab was the result of cross-contamination after a member of Alexander’s staff on feeding duties was taking over-the-counter medication for knee pain.
O’Sullivan took control of Alexander’s 50-horse team late last week and said it was not the way you want to enter a Group 1 race.
“It’s tough for Archie,” O’Sullivan said.
“It’s a bit like the bloke who has played all year in a football side and gets dropped or suspended before the Grand Final.”
High Approach showed his potential last spring winning the Listed Connoisseur Stakes (1800m) at Flemington after which Alexander set the son of Highland Reel on a Derby path.
The gelding headed to Sydney for the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 1 where he ran on from last to finish fifth, beaten 3-¾ lengths.
Alexander decided to keep High Approach fresh for Saturday’s race and headed to Horsham for a 1400m jump-out on May 1, which the gelding won.
“He went really well in Sydney. He drew a wide gate, went back and really ploughed through it late,” O’Sullivan said.
“He’s won on good tracks too, so he’s not necessarily a heavy tracker.
“He had a gallop on Tuesday morning with John Allen on him.
“It was a heavy track, he handled that well. He’s got a good draw and goes across in good order.”
Allen will be chasing his fifth victory in the South Australian Derby winning aboard Howard Be Thy Name (2016), Volatile Mix (2017), Russian Camelot (2020) and Explosive Jack (2021).
The jockey will also be out to keep his clean sweep of the Group 1 races in Adelaide for the 2023 Carnival intact after winning the Australasian Oaks on Affaire A Suivre and last week’s Robert Sangster Stakes aboard Ruthless Dame.