Stuart Gower, a seasoned Morphettville trainer nearing the end of his career, is hopeful that Darknconfidential can secure the Group 1 victory that has so far evaded him. The gelding is being prepared for the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville in May, with his next step being the SkyCity Handicap (1400m) at Morphettville Parks on Saturday. Gower, who has had only 10 Group 1 starters since the 1990s, nearly added Darknconfidential to that list last spring. Initially aimed at the Victoria Derby, the gelding was instead given a break, a decision Gower now views as wise.
“He wasn’t quite mature enough last time due to being a late November foal,” Gower said. “We thought about pushing on to the Derby, but looking back, the break was the right move. He’s returned bigger, stronger, and more mature, and we’re thrilled with his progress.” Darknconfidential was spelled after finishing sixth in the Listed Hill Smith Stakes (1800m) at Morphettville in October. He resumed with a closing fifth over 1250m on the Parks track on February 15. While Gower admits that running on the Parks track again isn’t ideal, Saturday’s race is a key step toward a potential start in the Listed Morphettville Guineas (1600m) on March 10.
“His performance on Saturday will determine whether he runs in the Guineas on Adelaide Cup Day,” Gower explained. “The programming is a bit odd. We have the mile on Adelaide Cup Day, then drop back to 1400 metres for the Nitschke Stakes, and then jump to the 1800 metres of the Port Adelaide Guineas. After that, there’s the Chairman’s Stakes and the Derby. It’s an unusual setup early in the campaign.” Gower would have preferred Saturday’s race to be on the main Morphettville track, as Darknconfidential performed well first-up and has trained on impressively.
“The inner track isn’t ideal for him because he’s such a big horse, but the programming leaves us no choice,” Gower said. “I still believe he can win, but he’d definitely perform better on the outer track. He’s a lovely horse, and I’m confident we’ll achieve our goals this time. He’s really grown into a fine horse.”