Nash Rawiller has delivered an upbeat report on Hong Kong Vase contender Preferment after riding him in a work-out at Sha Tin.
Hugh Bowman will be aboard in Sunday’s Group One International Vase (2400m) with ex-pat Rawiller filling in on the Chris Waller-trained four-year-old on Monday.
Preferment
“He felt good. He’s very fit and you wouldn’t think he’d need any more work,” Rawiller said.
“That will have cleaned him up nicely.”
The dual Group One winner worked over 800 metres on the turf track in 56.2 seconds, his last 400 in 25.7s.
Joanne Taylor, who has been looking after Preferment since he arrived in Hong Kong last week, says he has had a trouble-free free lead-up.
“He’s settled in well,” she said.
“That was what we wanted to see from him this morning.
“You’d call it maintenance work and routine for the stable.
“He’ll possibly have another gallop on the grass on Wednesday or Thursday but that will be quieter again.
“He doesn’t need much.”
Waller will arrive in Hong Kong on Thursday.
Among Preferment’s opponent’s will be Cox Plate placegetter, Irish horse Highland Reel, who worked on the all-weather track on Monday.
Aidan O’Brien’s travelling foreman Pat Keating was happy after Highland Reel who cantered over 400 metres.
“He’s done plenty of travelling and he took the trip over here in his stride,” he said.
The field for the Vase has been reduced to 12 with German filly Lovelyn suffering a soft tissue injury to a foreleg.
Australia’s Hong Kong Cup entries, Criterion and Lucia Valentina, had light work-outs on the all-weather surface and are expected to up the tempo on Tuesday.
