While it wasn't completed in the conventional manner, Preferment (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) returned to the track where he was already a two-time Group 1 winner to add a third in Saturday's G1 Australian Cup via the disqualification of first past the post Awesome Rock (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). With no one keen for the lead, Awesome Rock eventually took up the running down the backstretch with Preferment poised just off the pace about three-wide. They pulled clear approaching the halfway stage, with Preferment slotting in a length second as they began to make the turn. That pair engaged in a ding-dong battle down the lane, with Preferment getting up within a head of his rival at the line. Awesome Rock was later taken down for drifting outwards throughout the stretch run and carrying Preferment with him. “He's a very good horse at Flemington,” winning trainer Chris Waller told Racenet.com.au. “It's not the way we want to win–I feel for the connections of Awesome Rock, it's heartbreaking.”
Waller added, “[Preferment] was denied his fair run in the race. Our horse is terrific over 2000 metres–I'm still not convinced he's a stayer in spite of him winning the Derby here. Today was a fantastic performance second-up; he's a good, tough colt and he proved it today.”
Preferment broke his maiden in the 2014 G1 Victoria Derby at Flemington in his seventh start, and put in his best performance last autumn when beaten a pixel by Volkstok'n'barrell (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) in the G1 Rosehill Guineas. He recorded his second lifetime win first-up as a 4-year-old in Randwick's G2 Hill S. before shipping south to take the G1 Turnbull S. over the Australian Cup track and trip. Things didn't quite pan out for Preferment the remainder of that campaign–he was a well-beaten ninth in the G1 Cox Plate and beat just four of 24 home in the G1 Melbourne Cup before finishing seventh in the G1 Hong Kong Vase–and he was fourth on return behind his highly acclaimed stablemate Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) in the G1 Chipping Norton S. Feb. 27.
Preferment is the third foal out of the winning mare Better Alternative, who also produced the G3 South Australia Fillies Classic victress Rezoned to the cover of Zabeel. Better Alternative has a 2-year-old colt by So You Think (NZ), a yearling colt by Rip Van Winkle (Ire) and a filly foal by O'Reilly (NZ).
Saturday, Flemington, Australia
AUSTRALIAN CUP-G1, A$1,505,000, VRC, 3-12, Open WFA, 2000mT, 2:03.96, Good.
1–PREFERMENT (NZ) , 59.0, h, 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$905,000.
Lifetime Record: 19-4-4-1, A$2,438,405. *Full to Rezoned (NZ),
GSW-Aus, $125,120. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
*2–Awesome Rock, 59.0, h , 4, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–Awesome
Planet, by Giant's Causeway (USA). (A$575,000 Ylg 2013 MM
Gold Coast Yearling Sale) O-S Saric, Mrs J C Saric, A J Olive, W D
Birch, Mrs D J Birch, J M Tresize, Mrs P M Tresize, Emmaroo
Bloodstock (Mgr: Mrs C J Murray) & Newgate S F (Mgr: G D
Murphy); B-Mr A Olive WA; T-Leon & Troy Corstens; J-S Baster;
A$270,000.
3–Rising Romance (NZ), 57.0, m, 5, Ekraar (USA)–Post Romance
(NZ), by Postponed (USA). O-N J & Mrs V M Carter, M R Powell
& B H Carter; B-Carter Bloodstock Ltd, Auckland, NZ; T-David
Hayes & Tom Dabernig; J-Craig Williams; A$135,000.
Margins: 0.1 len, 1.4 len, 1.5 len. Odds: 6.00, 25.00, 10.00.
Also Ran: Fenway, Our Ivanhowe (GER) , Extra Zero, Happy Trails, Bow Creek (IRE) , Suavito (NZ) , Almoonqith (USA). *Finished first, placed second.
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
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