What a grand money-spinner the five-year-old Squamosa gelding Order Of Command is proving to be for connections.
The winner of the Listed Hilton Nicholas Straight Six Stakes at Flemington last November, Order of Command came in to Wednesday’s Listed Wangoom Handicap at Warrnambool off the back of a win over 1200 metres at Caulfield. Despite carrying a crushing 62kgs the Danny O’Brien-trained gelding scored a fighting short neck win over Superhard (All Too Hard) who carried 6kgs less.
The local hope Inn Keeper (Host) was a length back in third.
It was a first win in the race for champion jockey Damien Oliver.
“The second horse got a good neck in front, but I hadn't fully gone for him. It was a big effort to fight back with a big weight,” Oliver said.
"He hasn't let us down too many times. He's a really genuine, consistent horse and his record shows that. He's a winner and he's come back really well this prep. He loves soft ground as well."
For Danny O’Brien, it broke the ice.
We’ve never won a feature race during the Warrnambool Carnival and what a way to do it,” he told racing.com.
“He’s a super consistent horse, he places in about 70 per-cent of his races. We missed the autumn with this race in mind and he might’ve set a weight-carrying record for a Wangoom.
“Given that his rating will go up, we’ll have to look at maybe even Group 2 races for him. He’s been there before in the Salinger on Derby Day. He looks like he likes soft ground, too.”
The homebred advances his record to 8 wins, 5 seconds and 1 third from 21 starts with earnings of $614,175.
He is the best of three winners from as many to race out of the 3-time winning Commands mare Commanding Angel who only gets covered every second year.
Order Of Command's 3yo brother Order Of Fury is a Bendigo winner from three starts and there is also a yearling filly by Squamosa.
Order Of Command is one of two stakes-winners for Sun Stud’s underrated stallion Squamosa. The Group III winning son of Not A Single Doubt covered 97 mares last spring at a fee of $6,600.
