Classy filly Zarita upstaged the boys to claim today's feature three-year-old race at Morphettville – the Group 1 AV Jennings/Urban Pacific SA Derby (2400m).
The filly, prepared by Pat Hyland, sat just off the lead throughout and held a narrow margin into the straight before lifting strongly and kicking away.
Running on strongly down the outside was second favourite Zagreb, who had been patiently ridden by Dwayne Dunn, but he ran out of the ground as the tough filly keep lifting for a determined win as favourite, giving rider Greg Childs his 72nd success at the top level.
It was a masterstroke by Hyland to late nominate the filly and send her around in the Derby, having won her previous start in the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks over 2000m at the same track last start.
She was to have raced in next weekend's Group 1 Arrowfield Stud Stakes in Sydney but after weighing up his options with part-owner Bill Frost felt the SA Derby was a better fit to her program.
She will now head to Sydney for the Group 1 AJC Oaks 
at Randwick on Wednesday, April 30.
“We had a look at the ratings and felt she was good enough but the deciding factor was the extra week,” Hyland said. “Now she has almost three weeks to prepare for the AJC Oaks .”
Zarita was the first filly since Showella in 1999 to win the Group 1 race and Hyland was happy to compare her to stablemate and another top group 1 performer Saleous.
Although beaten the effort of the runner-up was excellent, particularly from a future viewpoint.
The David Hayes Zagreb was virtually last throughout but came home hard out wide to finish second. The stable hope the big son of Zabeel will measure up to the Cups later in the year.
Mick Price's Neugine battled on well to hold third, while the other filly in the race, El Daana, worked home well on the inside to finish fourth.
Early leader and Tasmanian Derby winner Mega Boss held on well for fifth.
落埋去悉尼跑 AJC Oaks :jjjj: :jjjj: 真係鐵打
