Having not started for a month due to many issues, the David Vandyke-trained Commands gelding Lamasery proved he is a legitimate Cups horse for next year with his tough victory in the Listed Johnnie Walker Stakes over 1800m, winning his third Stakes race from his last four starts.
After winning the Kingston Town Stakes and the Colin Stephens Handicap both at G3 level and finishing a gallant third in the G1 The Metropolitan, the five-year-old stayer headed to Melbourne with high hopes. But after a constant run of setbacks, the patient connections had to make the decision to bypass the G1 Melbourne Cup and set Lamasery for an easier assignment.
Justifying the faith of his connections, Lamsery was sent out as one of the favoured runners, and although he settled towards the tail of the field, his class shone through, getting up to win the event by one-and-a-quarter lengths.
Winning 10 from 17 starts, Lamasery was bred by Woodlands Stud and is out of the Quest For Fame mare Verse, herself a half-sister to G1 winner Anthems and Listed winner Vocalist (the dam of multiple G1 winner Yell and Stakes winner Sung). Verse has a bay colt by Danzig's G1-winning Darley Victoria-based stallion Hard Spun.
The sire of 43 Stakes winners including this season’s Ambidexter, Rain Affair, Jimando and Balmont, Commands is standing the current breeding season at Darley Kelvinside at a fee of $66,000 (inc GST).
