Melbourne Cup 2015: Preferment has the X-factor to upset fancied favourite Fame Game

ON Sunday Chris Waller was cheering for the All Blacks, but he is Australia’s best chance of upsetting the international field at this year’s Melbourne Cup.

Trainer, Chris Waller, with Preferment. Picture Jay Town.

ON Sunday morning Chris Waller was up cheering for the All Blacks, but on Tuesday he is Australia’s best chance of staving off a formidable international challenge in the $6 million Emirates Melbourne Cup.

Waller saddles third favourite Preferment, popular veteran Who Shot Thebarman and Sydney Cup winner Grand Marshal.

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At Monday’s Cup Parade press conference, Cup winning jockeys Damien Oliver, Brett Prebble and Blake Shinn were adamant Japan’s Fame Game is the horse to beat, but Waller considers he might have the “X-factor” to prove them wrong.

Since 2009 Waller has had nine Cup runners and they have started at odds between $16 and $151.

Preferment ($10) is easily his best chance of winning the Cup to date. Hugh Bowman has been so committed to Preferment he hasn’t ridden at all this week, preferring to spend all his time getting fit to ride at the 53.5kg.

“Having a benchmark horse like Who Shot Thebarman going into the race is pretty good,” Waller said.

“Unless the field is better than it was last year, he should run third. There’s no difference to him than last year, in fact there’s probably a bit of improvement.

“Grand Marshal is close to that form. Admittedly he did beat Who Shot Thebarman in the Sydney Cup on a wet track, but he will stay the two mile, so he’s not going to be far away from Who Shot Thebarman if things work out.

“With Preferment, he’s got the X factor because he could improve. He needs to go to that level over two miles where they’re at, but he should.

“He’s a Derby winner, he’s by Zabeel, he’s just turned four. He can improve.”

Waller has drawn confidence in Preferment’s ability to stay the 3200m from his exceptional powers of recovery.

“Preparing him, Kermadec and Winx for the Cox Plate was quite an interesting exercise because they would do similar work,” he said.

“Preferment would pull up far superior compared to the other two in the way he was recovering. Every piece of work is the same. He recovers very quickly.

“He appears to have an amazing aerobic capacity, which is what you need to win a Melbourne Cup.”

Just like previous Cup winners Jeune, Efficient and Green Moon, Preferment goes to Flemington off an unplaced last start in the Cox Plate.

“I didn’t lose confidence after the Cox Plate, I thought his run was terrific,” Waller said.

“Hugh has huge respect for this horse and he’s the right horse in the race.”

Originally published as Melbourne Cup 2015: Preferment has the X-factor to upset fancied favourite Fame Game