Mongolian Khan produced a strong staying performance in the 2015 Australian Derby to complete the New Zealand Derby/Australian Derby double at Royal Randwick this afternoon.
Preferment bounced back from his lacklustre effort in the Rosehill Guineas to win the Australian Derby at Royal Randwick this afternoon. Photo by: Steve Hart
Mongolian Khan failed to perform at his best in his Australian racing debut in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m), but he relished the step back up to 2400 metres and outstayed the likes of Hauraki and Volkstok’N’barrell to record a tough victory.
Jockey Opie Bosson was always confident that Mongolian Khan could bounce back from his lackluster Rosehill Guineas effort in the Australian Derby and he was delighted with the tough staying performance of the Holy Roman Emperor entire, which replicated his win over Volkstok’N’barrell in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m).
“He was just a little bit flat first-up and today when I hoped on him in the parade ring he was a different horse,” Bosson said.
“He jumped, put himself in the race and travelled beautifully throughout and he just loves that 2400, he jumps keep climbing all the way to the line.
“He was relaxed no matter where we were and it was just a matter of getting him into the clear.”
Murray Baker has an outstanding record in the Australian Derby, having previously won the race with Nom Du Jeu (2008) and It’s A Dundeel (2013) and the leading New Zealand trainer was clearly delighted to have won the Group 1 event for the third time.
Baker said that he was extremely disappointed with the performance of Mongolian Khan in the Rosehill Guineas and he revealed that he tried a variety of different methods to help the talented stayer return to winning form in the Australian Derby.
“It is good to be back, I like coming to Randwick,” Baker said.
“We have three wins and a second, Harris Tweed got beaten by the master Bart (Cummings), so it is just good to get back again and have another go.
“Straight after the New Zealand Derby we sent him out to the spelling farm for five days and then got him back into work on the Thursday afternoon and brought him over here.
“I have to be honest, he was very disappointing in the Rosehill Guineas because I thought he would have kicked on better, but we have swam him and done a few things with him to get him going.
“We thought that he would run a good race today.
“He is a real 2400 horse and he keeps going at the one speed, which is quiet fast.”
Baker confirmed that Mongolian Khan would be sent to the spelling paddock and would be set for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival.
