Two of Australian racing’s most prolific performers combined with a horse who had never won a race to take out the feature race on the opening day of the Emirates Melbourne Cup Carnival.

The Chris Waller-trained Preferment carried Hall of Fame jockey Damien Oliver to victory in the $1.5 million Group 1 AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington.

The Zabeel colt downed Bondeiger in a thrilling battle, with Nozomi third in front of a crowd of 90,244.

It was the first win in seven starts for the son of Zabeel, who had finished runner-up three times – including a nose defeat at his previous start in the Geelong Classic – and third once at his previous outings.

“The writing was on the wall last start and he’s by that great stallion Zabeel and he had a great rider aboard him,” Waller said.

“He’s just a genuine stayer. He’s a very talented horse and being a colt, the sky’s the limit for him.”

Preferment made it a Derby Day Group 1 double for Waller, who earlier won the other elite-level race for three-year-olds, the $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m), with Brazen Beau.

He narrowly missed out in the Group 1 race that split the two three-year-old features with He’s Your Man nosed out of the $1 million Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) by Happy Trails.

Ironically, Oliver was aboard Happy Trails and the champion hoop boosted his career Group 1 tally to 104 with his Derby Day double.

Preferment became only the second son of Zabeel to win the Victoria Derby, joining 2006 winner Efficient, and Oliver said he might be capable further capable of emulating Efficient in 12 months’ time.

“He could be back here next year on the Tuesday next year (for the Melbourne Cup),” Oliver said. “He’s that type of horse, he’s a real stayer and I think he’s just going to get better.”

It was the fifth win in the Victoria Derby for Waller, whose first – Redding, in 1992 – also came aboard a maiden. His other victories were with Amalfi (2001), Elvstroem (2003) and Fiveandahalfstar (2012).

Preferment, who started at $8.50, scored by a long head from Bondeiger ($11), with Geelong Classic winner Nozomi ($41) one-and-a-quarter lengths away third.

Light Up Manhattan ($26) did well to finish fourth after encountering not much luck in the home straight, while Magicool ($16, fifth) loomed as a threat midway down the straight but only battled over the concluding stages.

Hampton Court, the $2.45 favourite, was ridden positively early by Kerrin McEvoy and travelled sweetly once finding the spot outside leader Royal Standing but was beaten soon after straightening and finished eighth.

“We got into a forward spot, I should’ve asked him to quicken at the 600 just because he takes a little bit of winding up but all of a sudden they were up and around me and he had no more to give,” McEvoy said. - racing.com