With both more Stakes winners and individual winners than any other stallion in the current racing season in Australia, Commands added yet another Black type winner to his already impressive record on February 9 at Caulfield.
Settling towards the rear of the field, the Lee Freedman-trained Atomic produced a barn-storming run to work his way down the outside of the field to take the Listed Chairman Stakes by a long neck over Vatican and the Sydney-trained filly Hollyweird.
Making his racecourse debut over 1000m, the Ben Melham-ridden colt was bred by Mr GP and Mrs JA Nolan of Queensland. Out of the Tale of The Cat mare Fluffy Duck, a half-sister to the Stakes winner Albatross and the Stakes performer Acupuncture, the colt is a three-quarter brother to the Stakes-performing Commands three-year-old Intencion.
Purchased by the Victorian Bloodstock Agency at the 2010 Magic Millions Premier Yearling Sale for $205,000, the colt was the second-highest priced yearling by his sire sold at that sale behind Acupuncture's Commands colt which was knocked down to Gary Moore Racing for $225,000.
Taking his Australasian Stakes tally to 10 for the current racing season, Commands has also been represented this season by G1 winner Erewhon; plus Palomares, Soul, Kanzan, Royal Commands, First Command and She Rules. With four yearlings catalogued for the Perth Magic Millions Sale which commences today and had a further seven yearlings catalogued for the Inglis Premier yearling sale and 10 for the Inglis Easter yearling sale, the progeny of Australia's current leading Stakes-producing sire are sure to in high demand.
