Four-year-old Preferment has delivered leading trainer Chris Waller a 51st success at the highest level at Flemington this afternoon; producing a huge final straight sprint to take out the featured Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m).
Preferment was far too good in the 2015 Turnbull Stakes. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos
Jumping from the gates well, Premiership-winning jockey Hugh Bowman elected to settle Preferment off the pace of early leaders Weary, Volkstok’N’Barrell and Magicool, who flew the barriers and ensured noticeable tempo would be injected into the Turnbull Stakes from the outset.
Receiving an ideal run in transit, Bowman peeled the Zabeel entire our wide rounding onto the final straight; immediately responding when asked for an extra effort and locking in a fierce sprint battle with stable mate Royal Descent; bobbing his head at the right moment to post a second career Group 1 victory.
Bowman delivered a gem of a ride on Preferment for success in the 2015 Turnbull Stakes and is confident the four-year-old will only improve more from the performance heading towards his major Spring Carnival targets.
“He is a genuine Group 1 performer,” Bowman said after the race.
“He won his maiden in the VRC Derby here last year and he was an immature horse then.
“He loves Flemington obviously and I said after the win last start he was in for a big spring.
“He oozes presence and walking around the enclosure he’s just got all the attributes of an emerging stayer and I could not be more excited.
“To come here under these conditions and win again, I just think it spells big things and he’s a very exciting horse.”
Having initially underlines plans for appearances in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups this time, Waller revealed he will now seriously consider the 2015 Cox Plate as an option for Preferment following his second-consecutive win over 2000m this afternoon.
“He’s a very exciting horse and just good to see him showing speed over 2000m, not only second-up in Sydney last start but now again today against some of the better horses around,” Waller said.
“We know he’s going to get the distance of say 2400m and beyond, so a pretty special horse.
“He’s matured this year. He was a maiden when won the Derby but untapped and not pushed to be there, and I think that was a big thing.
“I’ll speak to all the people who have been there before. We’ll be thinking about what he’ll be doing but I’ll have a chat to the Lee Freedmans and the Lloyd Williams’ and see what they can offer.
“Obviously a Cox Plate could start to come into contention now, but it’s a good problem to have.”
Punters who backed Preferment to win the 2015 Turnbull Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au have been paid out on generous $11 odds for success!
