Rarefied leads home Darley quinella

Second-up from a lengthy spell, Commands gelding Rarefied returned to the winners’ list with a tough victory over Lonhro stable mate Skytrain in the Listed Hall Mark Stakes over 1200m at Randwick, April 27.

A winner of the G3 Up And Coming Stakes back in 2009, Rarefied resumed from 16 months off the racetrack with a promising fourth to Hot Snitzel in the G3 Star Kingdom Stakes at Rosehill three weeks earlier.

Ridden perfectly by jockey Kerrin McEvoy, Rarefied had to fight hard to defeat fellow G3 winner Skytrain by a neck in what was a training triumph for Peter Snowden who trains both geldings.

Now a six-year-old, Rarefied is a homebred for Darley and is out of seven-time winner Subtle, a half-sister to Commands’ dual G1-winning sprinter Undue. Subtle is also the dam of G1-winning Lonhro mare Beaded.

Enjoying his best season yet, Commands is the sire of nine G1 winners including triple G1 winner Appearance, Epaulette, Commanding Jewel and Darley’s young stallion Skilled.

Commands is standing the coming breeding season at Kelvinside at a fee of $55,000 inc. GST, while Skilled will stand at Northwood Park at a fee of $6,600 inc. GST.