Precedence Wins the Group 3 JRA Cup

Five-year-old Zabeel gelding Precedence (ex Kowtow) put on an impressive display on Friday night winning the $200,000 Group 3 JRA Cup at Mooney Valley.

Up against a strong field that included the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes winner Linton (Galileo) and the winner of the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes Alcopop (Jenue), the Bart Cummings trained Precedence lived up to punters expectations with an impressive victory.

After being caught three wide in the early stages of the race, Blake Shinn managed to get his mount midfield one off the rails allowing Precedence to settle nicely. Stoked up round the 600 metre mark, Shinn had the son of Zabeel travelling beautifully round the final corner and in the short Mooney Valley straight, ran down Rainbow Styling (Zabeel) for a comfortable one-and-a-quarter-length victory.

The Robert Hickmott trained Linton (Galileo x Our Heather), a $275,000 graduate of New Zealand Bloodstock's 2008 Ready to Run Sale, ran on well for third. Tracking Precedence throughout the race, Linton was found wanting at the 400 metre mark but put in a strong performance in the straight. Two runs back from a spell, the son of Galileo has the Cox Plate, Caulfield and Melbourne Cups set on his itinerary for owners Lloyd, Susie and Nick Williams.

Owned by Dato Tan Chin Nam, Sir Patrick Hogan & The Dowager Duchess Of Bedford, Precedence was bought from Bloomsbury Stud at the 2007 Karaka Premier Yearling Sale by DGR Thoroughbred Services for $180,000. Precedence has made 21 race day appearances for five wins and five minor placings earning connections over $435,000 in stakes.

With Friday night's win, Precedence is now an $8 equal favourite for the Caulfield Cup with stable mate Dariana, and at $13 for the Melbourne Cup. However, with the five-year-old only weighted at 50.5 kilograms for the Caulfield Cup, the maximum one point five kilogram penalty for the JRA Cup win would only boost him to 34^th in the order of entry. With that in mind, Precedence could be heading to the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes at Caulfield where a win would go a long way to securing a Cups start.

Kowtow's (Shadeed) yearling filly by Nadeem has been nominated for the Karaka Yearling Sales in January by Wentwood Grange.

Splitting the Karaka graduates at the finish was another kiwi performer in Rainbow Styling, the six-year-old son of Zabeel trained by John, Michael & Wayne Hawkes for Nick Moraitis and Macquarie Stud. His second placing follows a win in the Group 3 MRC Naturalism Stakes at his last outing a week earlier.

�Karaka 2011 commences 31 January with catalogues available from 26 November.