Blue Bloods And Wyong Winners Fill Out The Cerise Silks
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday January 30, 1999
COMMANDS and Naz- areth, major chances in top two-year-old events in Sydney and Melbourne today, are typical examples of how the Woodlands Stud syndicate has all sides of the thoroughbred market covered.
While Commands is an equine silvertail, Nazareth, a top chance in the Talindert Stakes at Flemington, wouldn't have sent buyers into a bidding frenzy at any major yearling sale.
Sure Nazareth is by Quest For Fame, which has subsequently made a name for himself, but when he served Nazareth's dam, La Navidad, he was hardly a fashionable stallion.
In fact, Quest For Fame attended to only 10 mares for Woodlands Stud, the property of Jack and Bob Ingham, in the season he sired Nazareth.
La Navidad won two races at Hawkesbury and Wyong and Nazareth is the only horse to race that she has produced. "Foal died", "missed" and "slipped" feature in her stud record.
However, Nazareth, under the guidance of John Hawkes, could well make the mare fashionable. Nazareth followed a third to Fappiano's Son over 900 metres at Flemington on October 5 with a strong win at Rosehill, appreciating the 1,100m journey when downing Sally Magic and Outrageous on October 24.
Sally Magic and Outrageous subsequently scored.
The Quest For Fame colt meets Fappiano's Son on worse terms, but the extra distance is a point in favour of the Hawkes two-year-old.
Undoubtedly Commands will be at a much shorter quote in the Golden Slipper Festival Handicap at Rosehill.
Commands is a full brother to the accomplished Danewin, being by the boom stallion Danehill out of Cotehele House. He was bought in a package deal with Arrowfield Stud, but would have topped the $200,000 mark in the sale ring.
At his only start Commands easily accounted for Colosseum and Give 'm The Flick over 1,200m at Rosehill on December 12, then was put into cotton wool before being produced in a barrier trial at Warwick Farm on Monday.
Commands finished third in the 800m dash, which was run in fast time, but wasn't extended.
Still, Kerin Guy and Major have also been impressive barrier trial performers.
VERDICT: Nazareth will indicate whether Sydney or Melbourne two-year-old form is superior, and I'm going for him to win. Commands also looks the goods at Rosehill. H AWKES will open the Woodlands Stud innings at Rosehill with Lease in, aptly enough, the Inghams Love 'em Handicap.
Lease represents class, but has 58.5 kg to balance it.
Like most of the Hawkes team, Lease had a very quiet barrier trial recently and will be better for today's race.
Yet the Quest For Fame gelding has had only eight starts for a win and four placings, including a most unlucky second to Mossman in the Group 1 Castlemaine Classic at Eagle Farm in June.
His previous first-up efforts have been solid, but would have read better had he been given trouble-free rides.
Perhaps the danger will be the race-fit Mastery. He races up front and should ensure a good tempo, and Fortunata, which was given a more demanding barrier trial recently than Lease.
VERDICT: Lease is a good gamble. H ELM, another to appear in the Inghams' cerise colours, is resuming in the Satellite Stakes at Rosehill and promises to be the best horse to come out of the race.
A three-year-old by the successful Woodlands Stud stallion Canny Lad, Helm has some handy fresh form, including a second over 1,100m at Rosehill after being blocked for a run.
Helm also finished second in the Ming Dynasty Quality behind Kenwood Melody at Randwick, with Dignity Dancer third in the 1,400m event. Thus he gets a strong plus for class, but Mutombo, Dual Photon and Rebel Rock are accomplished short course sprinters.
Rebel Rock looked fortunate to beat home Anthems, a stablemate of Helm, at Randwick last Saturday but drops 4.5 kg today.
VERDICT: Helm to successfully sail down the outside. G OING on her fourth in the Angst Quality at Randwick on October 5, Sash, another from Woodlands Stud, is weighted to beat the favourite Greta Hall in the Triscay Stakes at Rosehill.
Sash was beaten under a length, beating Greta Hall by a neck, but meets her on 5.5 kg better terms today. Sash, though, is resuming while Greta Hall is in winning condition.
Greta Hall has 59 kg but has won four of her eight starts and the authority of her Carrington Stakes success at Randwick last start indicated the four-year-old is above average.
The Triscay was won last year by Stoneyfell Road, which humped 58.5 kg, and I figure Greta Hall is superior to her.
However, Greta Hall can't afford to begin slowly and strike trouble, as happened in the Carrington.
VERDICT: Greta Hall to win.
© 1999 Sydney Morning Herald