Can Commanding Jewel give her sire Commands the perfect send
off by winning the Group 1 Cox Plate on October 25?
She looked all over a prime contender when defending her
crown in Saturday's Group II Let's Elope Stakes at Flemington.
Caught three wide for the trip under Damien Oliver,
Commanding Jewel defeated Group 1 winner
Dear Demi (Dehere) by a short-neck with outsider Nautical (Niello) a neck away
third.
It was just the second start for Commanding Jewel since she
defeated Catkins in the race last year.
Winner of the Group 1 Group I MRC Thousand Guineas at three,
the lightly raced 5yo mare takes her overall record to 5 wins, 1 second and 2 thirds
from 9 starts for earnings of $676,700.
The Leon and Troy Corstens-trained mare will likely have her
next start in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Moonee Valley on September
28 then the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) on October 11 before the Cox Plate
on October 25.
Co trainer Troy Corstens said Command Jewel had made a pleasing
comeback from a potentially career ending hoof injury.
"It was touch and go there for a while," Corstens said.
She had a nasty split on her hoof. A stack of work went into
her, but when you get one this good it's obviously worthwhile."
"When she was three-wide I thought to myself if she
sticks on she'd done well. To be fair, she had to win like that to be up for a
Cox Plate so that's all worked out."
"She will go to the Rupert Clarke (Stakes) next,
although she'll likely get a penalty now, then the Toorak and then the Cox
Plate."
Bred by Greg Perry Commanding Jewel was a $205,000 purchase by Brad Spicer 's Spicer Thoroughbreds from the Vinery draft at the 2011 Magic Millions Yearling sale.
She is the second and final living foal from Zabeel mare
Regard, who died the same year her daughter went through the sale ring.
Her first foal was the superstar Atlantic Jewel a 4-time
Group 1 winning daughter of Fastnet Rock who suffered just one defeat in her illustrious
carer.
Raced by Lloyd Williams, Regard was a winner at Sandown and Bendigo from three starts before being put through the 2008 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale where she was purchased by bloodstock agent Steve Brem for $340,000 on behalf of Perry.
Her first foal by Commands died before producing Atlantic
Jewel and Commanding Jewel. But misfortune again struck when her Flying Spur
foal was born dead and she missed to the same stallion in 2010.
