After winning the Group 1 Epsom Handicap with Winx at
Randwick on Saturday, Chris Waller travelled south on Sunday to win another
Group 1 feature with Preferment who outgunned his ever-reliable stablemate
Royal Descent in the $500,000 Yellowglen Turnbull Stakes (200m) at Flemington.
It was just the third career win for son of Zabeel who broke
his maiden in last season's Group 1 Victorian Derby before adding the Group II Hill
Stakes at Randwick at his most recent start.
Winning rider Hugh Bowman said the 4yo gelding is improving
with every start.
"He is a genuine Group 1 performer," Bowman.
"You all saw him here win his maiden in the VRC Derby last
year and he was an immature horse then.
"He enjoys the firmer ground loves Flemington obviously and
I said after he won last start he was in for a big spring and o come here under
these conditions and win again, I just think it spells big things and he's a
very exciting horse."
"He oozes presence and walking around the enclosure he's
just got all the attributes you want of an emerging stayer and I could not be
more excited."
Though Preferment is high up in the betting for the Caulfield
and Melbourne Cups, Waller surprised when saying he was seriously considering
the WS Cox Plate.
"He's a very exciting horse and just good to see him showing
speed over 2000 metres, not only second-up last start in Sydney but again today
against some of the better horses around," Waller said.
"We know he'll get the distance of say 2400m and beyond, so
a pretty special horse.
"He's certainly matured this year. He was a maiden when 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."
A $190,000 purchase by Chris Waller from the Cambridge Stud
consignment at the 2013 NZ Bloodstock Premier Yearling sale at Karaka,
Preferment is the third foal of the Flying Spur mare Better Alternative the winner
at Geelong and Werribee.
At the conclusion of her race career Better Alternative went
through a mixed bloodstock sale in Melbourne for just $10,000 dollars.
A half-sister to Group II Villiers Stakes winner Dances on
Waves (Anabaa), Better Alternative is out of the Canny Lad mare Ancient Lights
a Randwick winning sister to Group 1 VRC Salinger Stakes winner Ancient Song.
She has made an outstanding start to her broodmare career.
Her first foal Loophole, by Zabeel's grandson Lonhro, is the
winner of six races while her second foal Rezoned, a sister to Preferment, won
the Group III SAJC Fillies Classic (2500m).
Rezoned was purchased by Coolmore's Tom Magnier for $825,000
at this year's Magic Millions National Broodmare sale.
Better Alternative has a 2yo colt by So You Think named Eime
Kalyteros and a yearling colt by Rip Van Winkle (IRE). She was among the last
mares covered by O'Reilly before his death last year.
