Lightning strikes twice

A fortnight after recording a Stakes double at Doomben, Commands repeated the dose across the road at Eagle Farm, June 7. Once again, consistent gelding Cape Kidnappers made up one leg of the double, with Transporter the other winner.

A Stakes winner at the Brisbane Winter carnival last year, Transporter posted his second Black type victory with a dominant two-and-a-half length win in the Listed Strawberry Road Handicap over 1600m.

Bred by Torryburn Stud, Transporter is one of six winners and the only Stakes winner out of Sir Tristram mare Portrait Collector, a half-sister to G3 winner Freedom Fields, the granddam of Commands’ G3-winning daughter Kanzan.

Cape Kidnappers made it back-to-back Stakes wins with a tough victory in the Listed Lightning Handicap over 1000m. Given the run of the race by jockey Damian Browne, Cape Kidnappers fought his way to the lead with 100m to go and hung on gamely.

Bred by Mr A Grant-Taylor and Mr R Zuttion, Cape Kidnappers is out of Red Ransom mare Kidnapper who was a multiple metropolitan winner and has produced three winners from four foals to race.

The sire of nine G1 winners, Commands ($55,000 inc. GST) is joined on the Kelvinside stallion roster this season by his multiple G1-winning son Epaulette ($27,500 inc. GST), while his son Skilled ($6,600 inc. GST), a winner of the G1 Champagne Stakes as a juvenile, will stand his third season at Northwood Park.