Prebble and Yue Lu Treasure have Valley Vase in their sights
It will take a special Brett Prebble ride, but Yue Lu Treasure has the form and the weight to make light of his barrier draw and take the Happy Valley Vase (1,800m) tonight.
The 'B' course is not the most forgiving circuit for a wide gate and the David Hall-trained Yue Lu Treasure has drawn barrier 11 in a race which promises average tempo from likely leaders Lu Yue and Dumbarton Rock.
That will ensure the five-year-old settles in the back half of the field, but if Prebble can produce a carbon copy of his winning ride on the horse over 1,650m in January, he can make use of the gelding's light handicap weight and bold finishing speed.
On that occasion, Yue Lu Treasure drew barrier eight and was towards the rear of the field for most of the race, but Prebble produced an effort which has become one of his trademarks on back-running horses. He launched into the race coming into the final turn and Yue Lu Treasure sustained a withering final sprint to put his rivals away by the 200m.
Employing these tactics, Prebble has ridden backmarkers and infrequent winners, like Chater De Lago and Classic Energy to name but two, to decisive wins that make them look more talented than they are. With Yue Lu Treasure, Prebble will at least have a more significant engine under him.
The gelding is all the better for his last run at the Valley behind Sapelli (Douglas Whyte) when he had not run for more than 21/2 months and the extra 150m will be in his favour.