MASTERFUL PLUNGE

EARLIER in the week Chris Waller had two $26 chances in today’s Caulfield Cup – Preferment and Sacred Master.

Now he has one fancied runner and one at decent odds, with Sacred Master heavily backed in the past two days to give Waller his first Caulfield Cup win.

Sacred Master’s odds have more than halved in the past two days from $26 to $12 with UBET while Preferment has been steady at $26.

“He put in a flashing lights run in The Metropolitan, which is a great form race for the Cup,” UBET’s Nick Curry said, referring to Sacred Master’s close-up fourth to Sir John Hawkwood in the 2400m race at Randwick on October 1.

“Trainer Chris Waller’s confidence seems to have rubbed off on the rank and file, because the ex-Kiwi stayer is clearly the long shot they’ve latched on to.”

Waller admits to having “a slight leaning” towards Sacred Master over his four-time Group 1 winner Preferment, who will carry the topweight of 57kg in the 2400m race today.

Before Sacred Master’s The Metropolitan run, he had won the Newcastle Cup (2200m).

“He’s the right type of horse,” Waller said when discussing Sacred Master’s chances in the $3 million race today.

“He runs a strong 2400m and he’s very lightly weighted with 51 kilos. He’s drawn to get a nice run and I think he’s a top-five chance.”

Sacred Master will be ridden by Tommy Berry and Preferment will be ridden by Hugh Bowman.

Waller said he was banking on the European horses struggling and the Aussies having an advantage over them.

He is hoping a step up to 2400m could lead to Preferment improving today after he ran a seven-length fourth to Hartnell in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 2.

Caulfield Cup favourite Jameka was runner-up in the Turnbull, almost four lengths ahead of Preferment.

“I would have liked to have seen more from him in the Hill Stakes and then in the Turnbull – a race he won last year,” Waller said. “I would have liked to see him finish a bit closer to Jameka.

“He’s either a step below where he used to be or he’s looking for a bit further.”

Waller said he had done everything he could to freshen up Preferment since the Turnbull run.