Last year's G1 Victoria Derby hero Preferment appeared to go by the wayside for a short while after that career high, but the 4-year-old appears to now be firmly back in the frame for the country's top contests after a win in Sunday's G1 Turnbull S. Preferment was winning his first race of any kind when causing a mild upset in the 2400 meter Victoria Derby last November, after which he was put away for the Australian summer. He could be excused for off-the-board finishes in the G2 Hobartville S. and G1 Randwick Guineas at distances far short of his best, and he put up an encouraging effort to be a narrowly beaten second in the G1 Rosehill Guineas over 2000 meters Mar. 21. He could manage only eighth in the G1 Australian Derby back over 2400 meters Apr. 6, however, and was once again sent to the paddocks. After finishing 12th of 16 in the G2 Chelmsford S. over 1600 meters on seasonal debut Sept. 5, Preferment took the G2 Hill S. over 2000 meters two weeks later but was nonetheless let go at 10-1 over the same trip here and over the track on which he'd won the Victoria Derby. Traveling worse than midpack early, Preferment charged through the straight to nail his once again unlucky stablemate Royal Descent on the line.
While Preferment will now be among the favorites for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, Waller told Breednet.com.au he is also considering a tilt at the A$3 million G1 Cox Plate Oct. 24.
“He's a very exciting horse and it's just good to see him showing speed over 2000 meters, not only second-up last start in Sydney but again today against some of the better horses around,” Waller told the site. “We know he'll get the distance of, say, 2400 meters and beyond, so he's a pretty special horse. He's certainly matured this year; he was a maiden when he won the Derby, but untapped and not pushed to be there. I think that's a big, important thing; we just let him get there himself. Usually the Derby is not a good guide to the Melbourne Cup, but I think this horse might be different. Obviously a Cox Plate comes into the equation now; I guess it's a good problem to have.”
Sunday, Flemington, Australia
TURNBULL S.-G1, A$502,500, VRC, 10-4, 4yo/up, Open Set Weight, 2000mT, 2:01.34, Good.
1–PREFERMENT (NZ), 56.5, c, 4, by Zabeel (NZ)
1st Dam: Better Alternative, by Flying Spur
2nd Dam: Ancient Lights, by Canny Lad
3rd Dam: Hello Lottie, by Beau Sovereign (NZ)
(NZ$190,000 Ylg 2013 NZB National Yearling Sale)
O-Mrs L F Huddy, I Bruce, G L Huddy, R Smith, B L
Mathieson, K H Warriner, J T C Lake, F W Cook, Mrs
C M Cook, G G Ltd (Mgr: G G Peterson), Magic
Bloodstock Racing (Mgr: P G Tighe); B-Mrs B M & L J
Anselmi, Sir Patrick & Lady Hogan, Mrs H M & M J
Moran, Waikato, NZ; T-C J Waller; J-J Bowman;
A$302,500. Lifetime Record: 14-3-4-1,
A$1,503,405. *Full to Rezoned (NZ), GSP-Aus,
$A125,120. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple
Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Royal Descent, 53.5, m, 6, Redoute's Choice–Mulan
Princess (NZ), by Kaapstad (NZ). O-G Harvey; B-Mr G
Harvey NSW; T-C J Waller; J-G Boss; A$90,000.
3–Set Square, 54.5, f, 4, Reset–Dynastar, by Zeditave.
O-K King, G Raymond, T Lyndon, C Cansfield, S
Wallace, K Watson, M Demarte, Mrs D Demarte, G
Peters, D Roberts, K Minhas, M Grant, G Darling, B
Roche, D Andrews, Ken King Thoroughbre; B-Parador
Park Thoroughbreds VIC; T-C Maher; J-L Currie;
A$45,000.
Margins: 0.1 len, 0.9 len, 1.0 len. Odds: 10.00, 5.00, 18.00. Also Ran: Dandino (GB), Extra Zero, Hartnell (GB), Amralah (IRE), Who Shot Thebarman (NZ), Volkstok'n'barrell (NZ), Happy Trails, Gust of Wind (NZ), Rising Romance (NZ), Protectionist (GER), Magicool, Weary (FR).
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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