28th Group winner for Commands

Three-year-old Commands gelding Proverb became his sire’s 28th Group winner with a comfortable win in the G3 Gunsynd Classic over 1600m at Doomben, April 27.

A winner of the Listed Dulcify Quality at Rosehill in the Spring, Proverb relished the drop in class at his Queensland debut after taking on Australia’s best three-year-olds at the Sydney Autumn carnival in his first four starts this preparation.

Allowed to settle worse than midfield by jockey Josh Parr, Proverb shouldered clear on straightening and had the race in his keeping 200m from home. Parr eased the gelding up over the concluding stages but he was still more than two lengths clear of his nearest rival on the line.

Proverb is closely related to G1 Champagne Stakes winner and young Darley stallion Skilled and recent G1 Golden Slipper runner-up Sidestep. He is out of G2-placed Brief Truce mare More Haste, a half-sister to Skilled and Sidestep’s G2-winning dam Dextrous.

The sire of 56 Stakes winners including this season’s G1 winners Commanding Jewel, Epaulette and Appearance, Commands will stand the coming breeding season at Kelvinside at a fee of $55,000 inc. GST, while Skilled will stand his second season at Northwood Park at a fee of $6,600 inc. GST.