Queen of the Turf to Appearance

When a mare wins three G1 races from her last five starts, the accolades should flow, but Commands mare Appearance always seems to miss out on the credit she deserves. Taking out the G1 Queen of the Turf Stakes over 1500m at Rosehill on 6 March, Appearance has now clearly highlighted herself as one of the best mares in Australia.

With five G1 races run during the season for fillies and mares only, Appearance has now claimed three, having already won the Myer Classic during the Spring carnival, before taking out the Coolmore Classic two weeks ago and now adding the Queen of The Turf trophy to her silverware collection.

Settling back in the field in her usual racing pattern, the mare was pulled wide before the home turn by jockey Kerrin McEvoy, knuckling down to hit the lead and hold off Red Tracer, the exact same finish from the last time they met. The form had been franked earlier in the day with the third place in the Coolmore Classic, the Bart Cummings-trained Norzita having come out and won the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes.

Full of praise for his gutsy mare, trainer Guy Walter indicated that he would need to discuss the future plans with the connections of the mare, but indicated he would love to head to the G1 Doncaster Handicap at Randwick in the coming weeks.

"She's a lovely mare, she just wants to win. She's now won the three major mares races – the Myer and the Coolmore and today. It's a great honour for her and she really deserves it,” stated Walter after the race.

Having his best season yet, Commands has been represented by a further two G1 winners with three-year-olds Epaulette and Commanding Jewel joining their year-older paternal half-sister as winners at the elite level this season.

Bred by Darley, Appearance is out of the Grand Lodge mare Disguise, making her a full-sister to the Stakes winner Mascareri. Disguise has a two-year-old Strategic filly named Intendment, a yearling full-sister to Appearance and foaled a Domesday filly in November.

Having sired 55 international Stakes winners highlighted by nine individual G1 winners including Undue, Paratroopers, Purple and Darley stallion Skilled, Commands will be represented by seven yearlings at the at next week’s 2013 Inglis Easter yearling sale.