Commands enjoyed a great day in New Zealand on Saturday at Te Rapa where his son Loaded Command won the F. C. Johnstone Handicap (Listed) and his close relation Lovetrista landed the G2 Waikato Cup.
Bred in Australia by P & L Maguire Pty Ltd, Loaded Command has now won five races including three this year, having won at Ellerslie and Avondale last autumn. On Saturday he showed real courage to get home in a driving finish ahead of Who Knows, a son of Cape Cross.
The F. C. Johnstone Handicap is one of the chief supporting events on one of Te Rapa’s biggest days of the year, the feature of which is the Waikato Cup. This prestigious event was taken out by last season’s NZ 1,000 Guineas third Lovetrista who, like Commands, is a descendant of the great broodmare Eight Carat, thrice NZ Broodmare of the Year. Commands is a son of Eight Carat’s first foal Cotehele House (who is also the dam of the multiple Group One winner Danewin) while Lovetrista’s Group One-winning dam Tristalove is a daughter of Eight Carat’s Group One-winning second foal Diamond Lover. This family continues to throw up high-class horses, although its most notable member remains Eight Carat’s son Octagonal, the former Australian Horse Of The Year who stands alongside Commands at Denman.
