Fresh from his maiden Group 1 success, Adelaide jockey Tood Pannell may get the chance to snare another major at Eagle Farm next month.

Pannell produced a super front-running ride on the Tony McEvoy-trained Despatch ($21) to hold out the fast-finishing fellow South Australian Behemoth ($13) in last Saturday’s Goodwood.
McEvoy is keen to press on to Brisbane with Despatch, eyeing the $1.5 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) on June 8. McEvoy says the four-year-old is a “big, strong and powerful” horse who has the pedigree to run 1400 metres.
The Goodwood form has stacked up well in recent Stradbrokes. Santa Ana Lane completed the double last year while Under the Louvre and Black Heart Bart ran the quinella in both races in 2016.
Last Saturday’s Goodwood win was Despatch’s fourth successive victory. He took out a Morphettville benchmark 82, the listed Oakbank Stakes and the Group 3 D.C. McKay before the Goodwood.
Barend Vorster rode Despatch in those first three races, and McEvoy says either Pannell or Vorster will ride him in the Stradbroke.
Despatch became the first South Australian-trained Goodwood winner since Zip Zip Aray in 2002 and the first sprinter to complete the D.C. McKay-Goodwood double since Boardwalk Angel 30 years ago.
Pannell completed a productive weekend with a double at Strathalbyn on Sunday, scoring on the John Macmillan-trained Charmist  ($1.85 favourite) and the Nikki Pollock-trained King Red ($18).
Apprentice Caitlin Jones shared the honours at Strathalbyn, winning on the Karen Brynes-trained Grinzinger Charger ($5.50) and the Shane Oxlade-trained Touch ($7).
Business as usual
The Lindsay Park operation of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig rarely go home empty-handed from an Adelaide carnival day and their six runners at Morphettville last Saturday yielded a Group 3 double.
Craig Williams had Valac ($2.70 favourite) well placed throughout in winning the Queen’s Cup (2500m) while Andrew Mallyon guided last-start Flemington winner Fastnet Tempest ($7) from the back half of the field to take the R.A. Lee Stakes (1600m).
Kontra is queen
Kicking off Saturday’s Morphettville card, local youngster Li’l Kontra repelled a strong interstate challenge to take out the Group 3 National Stakes (1200m).
Trained by Ryan Balfour and ridden by Dwayne Dunn, Li’l Kontra ($7.50) produced an impressive run from last to overhaul the Danny O’Brien-trained favourite, Absolute Flirt.
Other Victorians in the field were the undefeated Ginny Ann (trained by Symon Wilde) and Splendoronthegrass, from Lindsay Park, as well as the Mick Price-trained first-starter Shush.
Li’l Kontra was by far the most experienced youngster in the field. The win takes her record to nine starts for three wins, four seconds, two thirds and $267,025.
A $110,000 purchase at last year’s Adelaide Magic Millions sale, Li’l Kontra is a full sister to eight-time sprint winner and dual stakes placegetter Cashed.
Stacky stunner
Victorian rider Daniel Stackhouse produced the boilover of the Adelaide Festival of Racing when he came from near last on Moor Gait ($101) to win the Group 3 SA Fillies Classic (2500m). 
Moor Gait, trained at Caulfield by SA expat Andrew Noblet, unleashed a punishing run over the concluding stages to notch just her second win at start number 10.
Coming off a sixth in benchmark 64 company at Sportsbet-Ballarat, Moor Gait clearly relished the rise from 2000 metres. The filly is by 2013 Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente.

Clarkens click
Followers of the Clarken family were in luck early at Gawler on Wednesday with successive winners, albeit at short prices.
Will Clarken took the second, an 1110-metre maiden, with the Jake Toeroek-ridden $1.55 favourite Iscariot. Not to be outdone, cousin Dan — in partnership with Oopy MacGillivray — took the third, a 1718-metre maiden with the Todd Pannell-ridden Vacant Block ($1.95 favourite).

Head to Hawker
The Hawker Racing Club will hold its annual non-TAB meeting on Saturday, highlighted by the Hawker Cup over 1750 metres.