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Preferment A Fine Flag Bearer For Zabeel

3 minute read

Another Group One win by outstanding four-year-old Preferment in the $1.5 million BMW at Rosehill on Saturday has surely made him a fine prospect well equipped to carry on the Zabeel sire line at stud.

Preferment wins The BMW
Preferment wins The BMW Picture: Racing and Sports

A Karaka yearling sale graduate, Preferment (Zabeel x Better Alternative by Flying Spur) claimed his second consecutive G1 win and his fourth overall when he outstayed a high class line-up over the classic 2400m distance.

Preferment also won the Victoria Derby over 2500m at Flemington as a three-year-old and this season has added the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) and Australian Cup (2000m), albeit on protest, before the BMW success.

Overall Preferment has had 20 starts for five wins, five placings and $3.3 million in stakes, an outstanding return for his owners and trainer Chris Waller, who bought the NZ-bred entire for $190,000 at the 2013 NZ Bloodstock Premier Sale at Karaka.

Preferment was ridden to victory by his regular jockey Hugh Bowman, who best summed up why he has the makings of a top class sire.

“He feels like a Rolls Royce,” he said. “He is one of the best movers I have ever sat on, and I have sat on some nice ones.”

Preferment’s dam Better Alternative has had three foals to race for as many winners including the Waller-trained G3 winner Rezoned, also by Zabeel.

Preferment’s third dam is the unraced Hello Lottie (Beau Sovereign), the dam of 11 winners from 12 foals to race including the G11 winner Ancient Song (Canny lad) and stakes winners Royal Lott (Royal Abjar) and Danzig Beau (Slant).

Better Alternative was covered by Fastnet Rock last season and has a weanling filly by the late O’Reilly. She also has a current Rip Van Winkle yearling half-brother to Preferment.

Leebaz, another versatile Zabeel product sold as a yearling at Karaka, completed a big double for the late super sire when he led all the way for a courageous win in the G3 Easter Cup over 2000m at Caulfield on Saturday.

Bought by Team Hawkes for $460,000, Leebaz has now won eight of his 26 starts and more than $830,000 in stakes.

This was his third stakes win, having earlier claimed the G3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup and the G2 A.D. Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast.

This month has seen other notable achievements by Zabeel progeny and descendants, including historic Group wins over 3200m in the Auckland and Adelaide Cups by two geldings who had never previously won a stakes race.

His 5YO son Purple Smile won the Adelaide Cup and a 9YO grandson El Soldado led all the way taking out the Auckland Cup.

El Soldado is by Colombia, a $1.4 million younger half-brother to Horse of the Year Octagonal who was unraced due to injury.

Their wins took Zabeel’s record of individual winners over 2400m and further to more than 50 with about 20 having won at 3200m including his Melbourne Cup victors Efficient, Ethereal, Jezabeel and Might And Power.


Racing and Sports

Rosehill

Saturday, 26th March 2016

7
16:30
(local)

The Bmw (G1)

Age: 3yo and up Type: OPEN
AUD $1,526,200
2400m TURF GOOD
7
16:30
(local)
AUD $1,526,200
2400m GOOD

The Bmw (G1)

Age: 3yo and up Type: OPEN

Preferment began well but Hugh Bowman eased him when the early pace was surprisingly quick and he settled back in eighth place. He tracked up (three wide with cover) from the 1000m and then made a quick move to take the lead coming to the home turn. He then fought back strongly when challenged over the latter stages, holding on for a very good win. It was also an excellent ride by Hugh Bowman. Who Shot Thebarman was last in the ten-horse field before making a wide move from the 700m. He challenged strongly at the 300m and kept fighting really well for a very good second. Grand Marshal was back in ninth place, tracked up behind runners nearing the home turn and kept running on resolutely (wide out) in the straight to take the minor placing. The well-supported three-year-old Montaigne was fourth on the rails, was shuffled back coming to the home turn but got a split on turning for home and then kept battling on in good style for (2.2 lengths) fourth. Rising Romance was seventh on the rails, got through to fifth at the 200m and battled on well to hold that position to the post. Of the others, both Mongolian Khan and Our Ivanhowe worked hard in the early stages before dropping out to finish ninth and last, respectively.

FP Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 7. PREFERMENT (NZ) 4yo H
ZABEEL (NZ) - BETTER ALTERNATIVE (AUS)
HUGH BOWMAN
CHRIS WALLER
$4.5
58.5kg
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) & Woppitt Bloodstock (Mgr: Mrs D N Kepitis)

Sales Information

2nd 2. WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) 7yo G
YAMANIN VITAL (NZ) - EARS CAROL (NZ)
BLAKE SHINN
CHRIS WALLER
$10
59kg
D M O'Leary, H T O'Leary, M J O'Leary, S C O'Leary, Mrs J C Nugent-O'Leary, Mrs A M O'Leary, Mrs F J O'Leary & Mrs L O'Leary
3rd 4. GRAND MARSHAL (GB) 6yo G
DANSILI (GB) - MARGARULA (IRE)
JASON COLLETT
CHRIS WALLER
$31
59kg
C C Lai
4th 10. BEAUTY GENERATION (NZ) 3yo G
ROAD TO ROCK (AUS) - STYLISH BEL (AUS)
DAMIEN OLIVER
ANTHONY CUMMINGS
$4.5
54kg

Sales Information

5th 9. RISING ROMANCE (NZ) 5yo M
EKRAAR (USA) - POST ROMANCE (NZ)
CRAIG WILLIAMS
D HAYES & T DABERNIG
$12
57kg
6th 3. ALMOONQITH (USA) 6yo H
DYNAFORMER (USA) - BOHEMIAN LADY (USA)
MICHAEL WALKER
D HAYES & T DABERNIG
$13
59kg
7th 8. STORM THE STARS (USA) 4yo H
SEA THE STARS (IRE) - LOVE ME ONLY (IRE)
TYE ANGLAND
CHRIS WALLER
$16
57.5kg

Sales Information

8th 5. ARAB DAWN (GB) 5yo G
DALAKHANI (IRE) - VICTOIRE CELEBRE (USA)
JAMES MCDONALD
JOHN O'SHEA
$17
59kg

Sales Information

9th 6. MONGOLIAN KHAN (AUS) 4yo H
HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR (IRE) - CENTAFIT (NZ)
OPIE BOSSON
MURRAY BAKER & ANDREW FORSMAN
$5.5
58.5kg

Sales Information

10th 1. OUR IVANHOWE (GER) 6yo H
SOLDIER HOLLOW (GB) - INDIGO GIRL (GER)
KERRIN MCEVOY
LEE & ANTHONY FREEDMAN
$7.5
59kg

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