Preferment is currently available at 2015 Australian Derby odds of $3.50 and is a narrow favourite in betting markets for the Group 1 event that will be held at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Preferment is currently on top of 2015 Australian Derby betting markets. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett
Preferment stamped himself as the best promising staying three-year-old in Australia when he produced an excellent staying effort to win the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2400m) at Flemington in November last year, but he made a slow start to his autumn campaign in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on February 21 and the Group 1 Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) on March 7.
Trainer Chris Waller said throughout the preparation that Preferment would not find his best form until he got to 2000 metres and beyond and that prediction was validated when the Zabeel colt finished a very close second behind Volkstok’N’Barrell in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 21.
Hauraki has been the big market mover in Australian Derby betting markets in the past 48 hours and the Godolphin galloper is now on the second line of betting for the Group 1 event at a quote of $3.70.
The Reset colt failed to fire in two race starts in Melbourne at the start of his autumn preparation, but he returned to his best form with a second place finish behind Winx in the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 14 before he stamped himself as a leading Australian Derby contender with a dominant victory in the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m) last weekend, a performance which suggests he will have no problems running out a strong 2400 metres.
Volkstok’N’Barrell is also taking winning form into the Australian Derby, but he has been the big drifter in early betting for the $2 million event and is out to a quote of $4.60 after he opened at $4.20 when the final field came out yesterday.
The Lord Tavistock gelding was beaten by Mongolian Khan in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m), but trainer Donna Logan believes that the three-year-old has gone to another level since he arrived in Australia.
Mongolian Khan is the only other horse available at single figure Australian Derby odds and trainer Murray Baker is confident that the colt can produce an improved performance when he steps-up to 2400 metres.
The three-year-old was on the second line of Australian Derby betting markets before his Australian racing debut, but he has been a big drifter since he failed to fire in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and he is out to $8.
Hampton Court has remained steady at a quote of $26 with Ladbrokes, while Omeros ($10 out to $11), Brogue ($81 out to $101), Quick Strike ($15 out to $16) and Bikila ($101 out to $201) have all been on the drift.
