Court Command to stay in training

JULY: In a move that will shock many thoroughbred racing enthusiasts, millionaire Wattle Brae Stud stallion, come racehorse, Court Command, will race on in the upcoming 2009/2010 racing season, in lieu of standing his second season at stud.

Speaking exclusively to Justracing last night, Wattle Brae studmaster, Gary Turkington advised that Court Command, the winner of five of his 14 starts – and $1,077,700 in prizemoney earnings – will be given his chance to win at the elite Group 1 level. As at today, Court Command has won at both Group 2 and Group 3 level, but his best effort in only two Group 1 appearances to date was an excellent third in the time honoured Caulfield Guineas, behind Wonderful World and Excites on 14/10/06. Ironically all three placegetters from that particular Caulfield Guineas were retired to stud duties at the expiration of their racing careers.

Court Command, who entered the world on 27/9/03 as the son of Commands and the Zoffany mare Court House Lane, made a few people sit up and take notice when he easily won the Group 3 BTC Sprint at Doomben on 16/5/09 during this year’s Brisbane Winter Carnival, at just his second run back following 58 weeks away from the racetrack, which included serving 109 mares at Wattle Brae Stud last year. Court Command led all the way in the BTC Sprint to record the slick time of 1.18.10 which is just 1.01 seconds off the track record of Doomben Triple Crown winner Natural Destiny (1.17.09).

Asked what races Court Command and his Brisbane based trainer Liam Birchley would target later in the year, Turkington hesitated before advising, “We are still not really sure. We are going to take the horse down to Melbourne for the Spring and let the horse tell us. There are several races we are looking at, but we intend to avoid wet tracks with him, as he just doesn’t handle them. We honestly believe he’d have won the Stradbroke on a good track. The Manikato Stakes is a thought, as if you can win that race, your horse gets an automatic entry into the Breeders Cup series in America. If by chance the Manikato was going to be run on a wet track, we can just change tack and run in other Group 1 races. He could then spell after the Melbourne Spring Carnival and come back for a race like the Futurity (at Caulfield) in February, as that race gives the winner an automatic entry in the Asian Mile. At the end of the day, he’s a talented racehorse that we have the utmost faith in, so we have plenty of racetrack options to consider”.

Asked how he came to secure the stallion for his fourth generation Wattle Brae Stud, Turkington advised, “He was a champion three-year-old and a son of Commands and only for the Equine Influenza outbreak, it is fair to say he’d have gone on and won a Group 1 race, however he was like many other horses around the country at that time, in that he got holed up in his stable for three months, so he missed his opportunity to earn Group 1 glory. Myself and the other majority shareholder, Doug Lomas, moved to buy the horse as soon as he came on the market, with some of the original owners retaining a small percentage to this day”.

Gary Turkington emphasized the point that Court Command was still a lightly raced stallion by saying, “Don’t forget he’s only had 14 starts to date, so he’s very lightly raced. He can have a few more runs and he’ll still be able to return as a lightly raced stallion, when he retires for good in the 2010-2011 season. Whilst we were very happy with the quality of the book of mares he served in his first season at stud (2008-2009), a Group 1 win would attract an even better class of mares, which ultimately would give him a better chance to be a sire with a national appeal to broodmare owners. I just think the potential upside of continuing to race on, far outweighs a young stallion missing one season at stud”.

Turkington confirmed that with Court Command not standing at Wattle Brae this season, the stallion roster would now consist of five stallions - Easy Rocking, Get Square, Mustaneer, War Trace and Brave Hawk.

Asked which one of those five stallions excited him most, Turkington replied, “Whilst Court Command won’t be standing here this year, we’ve still got a good cross-section of stallions to satisfy all broodmare owners, but I must say that we are getting very good reports on the progeny of War Trace. His oldest progeny are rising two-year-olds and we are getting very positive feedback on them from reputable breakers like Stephen Lamb (Greenvale Park) and trainers like John Wallace and Kevin Kemp. When people like that get excited, we do too, so hopefully his youngsters will do the job in the upcoming season”.

Author: First published on www.justracing.com.au