G2 double for Commands

Star mare Appearance provided her sire Commands with a G2 double on the day with a dominant win in the G2 Apollo Stakes over 1400m at Rosehill, February 22.

Following on from the win of Vilanova in the G2 Autumn Classic at Caulfield earlier in the day, Appearance remained unbeaten this time in with another blistering finish sweeping her to victory.

A homebred for Darley, Appearance is a daughter of city-winning Grand Lodge mare Disguise, also the dam of a Stakes-winning full sister to Appearance in Mascareri. Disguise has another daughter by Commands, the unraced two-year-old Commanding Secret, as well as a yearling filly by Domesday.

A little over an hour prior to Appearance's win, three-year-old Commands gelding Vilanova returned to his brilliant best with a barnstorming victory in the Autumn Classic over 1800m.

A Listed winner and G1 placed as a juvenile, Vilanova failed to fire in a Spring campaign but delivered on his promise at his first start in Victoria, becoming the 30th Group winner for Commands.

Bred by G J Cranny, Frantic Bloodstock Ltd and Hanui Bloodstock Ltd, Vilanova previously raced as Catalonia in New Zealand where he was a winner of the Listed Wentwood Grange Stakes. He is out of G3-winning Red Ransom mare Valpolicella, a granddaughter of G2 winner Dopff.

The sire of 61 Stakes winners including nine G1 winners, Commands will be represented by six yearlings at next week’s Melbourne Premier yearling sale. Among them are lot 174, a half-sister to G1 winner Zip Zip Aray consigned by Mill Park and lot 312, a three-quarter brother to G2-winning and G1 placed Commands mare Altar.