Smart 3YOs Fight Out Finish

Tara Madgwick - Friday January 28

The Benchmark 72 event at Canterbury last night over 1100m featured a couple of above average three year-olds in Sky Command and Able Willie and they duly fought out the finish.

The Gary Portelli trained daughter of Deep Field sported blinkers for the first time and jumped fast to lead all the way and win by half a neck over the strong finishing Written Tycoon gelding Able Willie.
 


Gary Portelli will be looking for Black Type races in the autumn for Sky Command, whose natural brilliance and ability to handle wet ground will take her a long way.

A homebred for Bert Vieira and his family, Sky Command has won three of six starts earning over $165,000.

She is the first winner for Love Commands, a winning daughter of Group III winner Sky Love from Stuart Ramsey’s famed Suggestive family that has produced horses like Group I winner Sky Cuddle and outstanding Group II winner Champagne Cuddles, the winner of over $1.4million.

Sky Command has an interesting pedigree that features three lines (6 x 4 x 4) of influential blue hen Eight Carat as her sire Deep Field traces in tail female line to the famed matriarch as do her first two dam sires Commands and Octagonal.


Love Commands produced a colt by Vieira’s champion colt Trapeze Artist last year and is now back in foal to him again.

Deep Field is the sire of Sky Command.

Runner-up Able Willie will also be headed for Black Type making a pleasing return following a third in the Listed ATC Sir Brian Crowley Stakes back in the spring at just his second start.

Prepared by Chris Waller for Hermitage Thoroughbreds, he looms as another potential stakes-winner to carry the colours made famous by horses such as The Autumn Sun and September Run.



 

Advertisment

Race Result - First Justify Yearlings (Bm72) 1100m

Canterbury Track: Good(4) Time: 1:03.99
1
Sky Command
- 3f Deep Field (AUS) x Love Commands (AUS) (Commands (AUS))
Tnr: G Portelli Rdr: J B Mc Donald 58.5
2
0.2
Able Willie
- 3g Written Tycoon (AUS) x Lifesaver Lady (AUS) (More Than Ready (USA))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: J Bowman 59
3
1.0
Conscript
- 4g Time For War (AUS) x Carmelita Mo (AUS) (Uncle Mo (USA))
Tnr: G Ryan & S Alexiou Rdr: Tyler Schiller 60
4
2.0
Patino Ruby
- 4m More Than Ready (USA) x Commanding Jewel (AUS) (Commands (AUS))
Tnr: B F Cavanough Rdr: S Clipperton 56.5
5
2.8
Riva Del Sol
- 3f Press Statement (AUS) x Riva Del Mar (AUS) (Shamardal (USA))
Tnr: C Karakatsanis Rdr: Tom Sherry 54
6
3.3
What Could Be
- 9g Floral Dynamite (AUS) x Late Declaration (AUS) (Halo Homewrecker (USA))
Tnr: D I Atkins Rdr: A B Collett 57
7
4.9
Way To The Stars
- 3c Reward For Effort (AUS) x Writteninthestars (AUS) (Written Tycoon (AUS))
Tnr: Matthew Smith Rdr: J R Collett 55.5
8
6.1
Kosciusko
- 7g All Too Hard (AUS) x Zauberin (AUS) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: J & G Lee Rdr: C Waddell 52
9
8.8
Penopera
- 4m Va Pensiero (AUS) x Ashlee's Jewel (AUS) (Easy Rocking (AUS))
Tnr: J C Coyle Rdr: Rachel King 54
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Saturday July 26
Here is the full list of 86 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
First SW For So You Think Stallion Tamasa As Cicala Takes Out Lightning
One of just three named foals by the So You Think stallion Tamasa, the Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea trained 3yo filly Cicala remained unbeaten, going three from three by winning the $120,000 Listed SAJC Lightning Stakes (1050m) at Morphettville.
Farnan Draws Level with Ole Kirk on 13 Winners
There’s a good battle going to decide the leading first season sire by Australian winners and with just seven days of the season to run Farnan is laying down the gauntlet to the long time division leader Ole Kirk.
New Zealand Makes Presence Felt in Hong Kong’s 2024-25 Season
From a freakish sprinter with a (NZ) suffix to an exciting group of up-and-comers sourced from the Karaka sale ring, New Zealand’s influence was strongly felt on Hong Kong racetracks during the 2024-25 season.
Sires With Winners - Thursday July 24
Here is the full list of 49 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Consecutive Black Type Victories For Snitzel Filly Bridal Waltz
Stepping up to open company is always a tough task, but 3yo Snitzel filly Bridal Waltz graduated from a last start Listed win over her own age to win the $200,000 Group 3 MRC Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
Unbeaten Run Continues For Ole Kirk’s Daughter Ole Dancer
Successful in the Magic Millions SA 2YO Classic at Murray Bridge on debut back in March, the Peter Moody and Katherine Colemen trained filly Ole Dancer resumed at Sandown on Saturday, winning the Senet Gambling Law Experts Handicap (1200m) to remain unbeaten.
One to Watch Wins Again in Saturday Class
The half-brother to Group II winner Stretan Angel, lightly raced three year-old Brutal gelding Glorious Moments was in a class of his own at Randwick on Saturday.
Season Finale Flourish for So You Think
Coolmore stalwart So You Think is powering to the end of the Australian racing season with a six winner flurry on Saturday highlighted by a winning treble at Randwick led by his progressive mare Oh Diamond Lil.
Hello Youmzain Filly Wins NZ Last Stakes Race of Season
Talented juvenile filly Platinum Diamond made all posts a winner when she captured her second consecutive stakes victory in the last black type feature of the 2024-2025 racing season, the Listed Phils Electrical & Gypsy Caravans Ryder Stakes (1200m) at Otaki.