The Darley stallions enjoyed a spectacular afternoon at Royal Randwick today, snaring three of the four G1 races on offer.
Commands sired his sixth winner at the highest level when Erewhon turned the tables on his Darley stable mate Retrieve to take out the 2000m Spring Champion Stakes in a time of 2;02.95. Erewhon who was ridden by Hugh Bowman, became Commands' 30th individual winner for the season.
Bred by Woodlands stud, Erewhon is out of the Quest for Fame mare Pseudonym.
Darley trainer Peter Snowden said Erewhon's win over Retrieve was extremely satisfying because he never dreamed the horse would come close to reaching the heights he has. “When a horse lifts like this bloke has it gives you a real buzz,” Snowden said.
A prolific sire of winners, Commands ended the 2009/10 racing season having recorded more individual winners than any other sire, and has started the current season in fine form. Earlier in the day, Commands mare Purple ran a gallant second in the G3 Craven Plate and will now continue on towards the Melbourne Spring carnival.
The rain had hardly time to settle before Shamardal's four-year-old colt Captain Sonador hit the front at the 400m mark and held all at bay in the time-honoured G1 Epsom Handicap over 1600m. Captain Sonador had previously run a close third in the G1 Randwick Guineas and showed a liking for the conditions when coming down the middle of the track to score by a half-length. Bred by Mill Park Stud, Captain Sonador is out of Pushing Daisies (by Kenny’s Best Pal) and joins Faint Perfume and French star Lope De Vega as individual G1-winners for Shamardal and is his 20th Black type winner worldwide.
Commands and Shamardal both stand at Darley Kelvinside at a fee of $66,000 including GST.
Earlier on the card, Dubawi's three-year-old daughter Secret Admirer swept to victory in the G1 Flight Stakes to become his second southern hemisphere-bred G1 winner and fourth overall.
