Preferment (NZ) Wins Third Group 1

There were two Group 1 trebles completed when Preferment (NZ) (Zabeel) won the A$1,500,000 Australian Cup (2000m) via a protest at Flemington on Saturday.

It was the third Group 1 win of the day for Karaka graduates, following the Ellerslie successes of Heroic Valour (Fastnet Rock) and Volkstok’n’barrell (NZ) (Tavistock). For Preferment himself it was a third Group 1 victory at Flemington in his impressive career, following wins in the VRC Derby and Turnbull Stakes.

Preferment was second past the post in the A$1.5 million race, beaten by a nose by the outsider Awesome Rock (Fastnet Rock). But that runner was found to have impeded Preferment’s run down the straight and the placings were reversed.

"He didn't win the race rightfully but he was denied his fair chance in the race, but unfortunately there becomes a victim which was Awesome Rock," Waller said.

Preferment will now head to Sydney to compete in one of Australasia’s richest races, the A$4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

The four-year-old, who was purchased by Waller for $190,000 at the 2013 Premier Sale, has now had 19 starts for four wins, five placings and more than A$2.4 million in prize-money. A half-brother was sold at the 2015 Premier Sale and went to Cameron Cooke/Kennewell Racing for $420,000.