The Australian representation in Sunday’s Hong Kong Vase 2015, Preferment has suffered a slight blow to scoring his first win overseas coming up with barrier 10 in the 13-starter field for Sha Tin’s staying showdown of Hong Kong International Race Day.
The Chris Waller-trained Preferment is second pick to return to winning form in his international debut on Sunday in the 2015 Hong Kong Vase. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Running as Sha Tin Race 4 this year’s Group 1 Hong Kong Vase (2400m) features four single figure hopes in the latest odds at Ladbrokes.com.au including the Chris Waller-trained Preferment at $5.50 for the win.
Hugh Bowman goes over for the ride on the dual Group 1 winner whose latest turf triumph was in Flemington’s Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) in early October.
Waller ran last year’s Victoria Derby champ in both the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup, the latter over a testing two miles, after the Turnbull triumph but the Zabeel four-year-old could only manage to finish ninth and 20th respectively.
He is back to a mile and a half for the weekend for his international debut looking to return to winning form.
Hot favourite in the Hong Kong Vase odds at $2.70 is Andre Fabre’s French-trained Flintshire jumping from gate eight and coming off a string of top three runs as he looks to go back-to-back in the race.
His most recent was a second to Golden Horn as a 20/1 hope in the prestigious Group 1 Prix De L’arc De Triomphe, form the bookies are tipping to stack up at Sha Tin over the same distance.
Equal second favourite at $5.50 along with Preferment is Highland Reel in barrier nine with 2014 Melbourne Cup winning hoop Ryan Moore booked for the ride on the Aidan O’Brien-trained English raider.
The Galileo stallion won the Group 1 Secretariat Stakes (2012m) in the USA in mid-August before a fifth to subsequent Prix De L’arc De Triomphe winner Golden Horn in the Group 1 Irish Championship (2012m).
His latest run was in Australia at Moonee Valley on October 24 in the Cox Plate over 2040m when a brave third behind Waller’s historical winner Winx, and he is tipped to appreciate going back up to 2400m having won over the distance at Goodwood in late July.
The last horse under $10 for the win is the widely-drawn Cannock Chase in barrier 13 with Irish hoop Pat Smullen booked for the ride on the in-form four-year-old from the Sir Michael Stoute stables in England.
The galloper is enjoying a purple patch of form having won his two lead-up races into the Vase including a smart effort in the Group 1 Pattison Canadian International Stakes over the mile and a half back in October.
Outside of the single figure hopes are plenty of other livewire Hong Kong Vase chances this summer including the big local hope Dominant ($12) prepared by Aussie expat, the now Hong Kong-based John Moore.
The veteran eight-year-old in the race, Dominant won this race back in 2013 when the 2011 Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden ran third and returned last year for a close fourth to Flintshire.
Check out the latest Hong Kong Vase 2015 odds below then follow the links to back your favourites and support Preferment at Ladbrokes.com.au – home of the best local and international racing odds!
