Preferment Wins Victoria Derby Thriller
Description:
New Zealand-bred Preferment broke his maiden in style Nov. 1 at Flemington, winning the Aus$1.5 million AAMI Victoria Derby (Aus-I) from Bondeiger in a thrilling finish.
The Victoria Derby card included three other group I races: the Coolmore Stud Stakes, won by Brazen Beau; the Longines Mackinnon Stakes, taken by Happy Trails; and the Myer Classic, won by Bonaria.
Under Damien Oliver, Preferment flew down the center of the course after racing well off the pace and wide early, battling Bondeiger stride for stride and then edging that rival by a head in a hard-fought victory.
Hampton Court was the clear-cut race favorite and stayed with early leader Royal Standing for most of the 2,500-meter (about 1 9/16-mile) race, with Prentice and The Mighty Jrod well in contention in the strung out field.
In the straight, Bondeiger was up to snatch the lead and third-place finisher Nozomi was handy to challenge before Preferment joined in and gained inch by inch en route to the win
Final time was 2:37.81 on good turf.
Hampton Court weakened late to finish eighth in the 16-horse field.
Preferment, a son of Zabeel trained by Chris Waller for a large partnership, was winless in six starts entering the Victoria Derby but came in off a close second to Nozomi in the Geelong Classic Oct. 22.
"The writing was on the wall last start and he's by that great stallion Zabeel and he had a great rider aboard him," Waller said. "He's just a genuine stayer. He's a very talented horse and being a colt, the sky's the limit for him."
Earlier on the card, Waller also struck with Brazen Beau and Delectation in a one-two finish in the Coolmore Stud Stakes for 3-year-olds.
Brazen Beau scored by 1 1/4 lengths from his stablemate and covered 1,200 meters (about six furlongs) in 1:10.73.
Strong head winds building to gale force made things difficult for the front-runners as field divided into two sections. Eloping took the early lead from Time For War, with Rich Enuff and Galaxy Pegasus in pursuit.
Inside the final 300 meters, jockey Joao Moreira quickened up on the inside rail with Brazen Beau to secure the first group I victory for the I Am Invincible colt campaigned by a large partnership.
One race before the Victoria Derby, Oliver got Happy Trails up in the final stride to take the Longines Mackinnon Stakes.
Following his sixth-place finish in the Sportinbet Cox Plate (Aus-I) last week, Happy Trails was settled toward the rear of the field early in the Mackinnon. Oliver pulled Happy Trails to the outside in the straight and he powered to the line while reeling in He's Your Man in the shadows of the post.
After racing wide throughout, Farraaj finished a further three-quarters of a length away in third. Favorite Criterion was never a threat in a fifth-place finish.
Final time for 2,000 meters (about 1 14 miles) was 2:02.28.
A 7-year-old Good Journey gelding, Happy Trails scored his third success at the highest level following wins in the 2012 Emirates Stakes and 2013 Turnbull Stakes.
Trained by Paul Beshara for a partnership, Happy Trailshas seven wins from 45 starts and seven other group placings.
In the final group I race of the day, hard-knocking 6-year-old mare Bonaria scored an emphatic upset with Michael Rodd in Myer Classic, getting her first group I win.
Near last rounding the turn, once Bonaria got the outside in the straight she produced an impressive finish to score by one length from Sweet Idea, with Catkins another half head away in third.
Final time for 1,600 meters (about one mile) was 1:36.55
Bonaria, a daughter of Redoute's Choice, is trained by Pat Hyland. She earned a fourth group win and eighth overall while making her 40th start.
Elsewhere in international racing, Ivanhowe grabbed command in the final 150 yards and won the Grosser Preis von Bayern (Ger-I) at Munich.
Unplaced in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) Oct. 5 at Longchamp, the 4-year-old son of Soldier Hollow rebounded with a convincing 2 1/2-length win over Cubanita, with Earl of Tinsdal third, another three lengths back.
Racing in midfield early as Earl of Tinsdal showed the way, Ivanhowe threw down his challenge inside the final furlong with Filip Minarik and outfooted Cubanita, who went to second late.
Ivanhowe was timed in 2:38.33 for 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) on soft turf.
Trained by Jean-Pierre Carvalho for owner/breeder Gestut Schlenderhan, Ivanhowe has a 5-1-0 record from nine career starts that also includes his triumph over Sea The Moon in the Grosser Preis von Baden (Ger-I) Sept. 7.