Kiwi Bred Commander Harry Brings Pedigree Update

Media Release - Saturday December 16

Handy stayer Commander Harry returned to the winner’s circle for the first time in more than 800 days when winning the Quayclean Handicap (2000m) at Caulfield under a perfect Jamie Mott ride and has a yearling half-brother for Inglis Classic by first season sire Circus Maximus (IRE) .

Commander Harry wins the Quayclean Handicap at Caulfield. Photo: Colin Bull

These days prepared by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, the five-year-old gelding hadn’t won since breaking maiden ranks over 1450m at Kilmore in September 2021 when trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young.

The son of Reliable Man finished runner-up in the Gr.2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) won by Forgot You and campaigned against a number of likely types in his Classic season including placings behind the likes of Jungle Magnate and Detonator Jack.

Fast-forward two seasons, and the SCT Syndications-raced galloper relished the strong tempo set in Saturday’s contest to prevail by a length and a quarter.

Stable representative Jack Turnbull said the variety of facilities at the disposal of the Ciaron Maher Racing team played a key role in the return to form, including the Fingal base on the Mornington peninsula.

“It has been a long-time coming. It is well-documented he has been through nearly every set-up we have. He currently lives at Fingal and full-credit to the team down there,” Turnbull said.

“He has been doing a lot of jumping and a lot of alternative work. He doesn’t actually gallop a lot these days. He does a lot of bowling and surging work out there and it seems to be working.

“Typically, we would bring them in once or twice a week to speed-up on grass but horses like him are educated and they don’t need to be worked at speed. They do a lot of half-pace and three-quarter pace work at Fingal which is left-handed and right-handed and we have just recently set-up a few jumping and schooling arenas.

“It is effective and we’re learning and we are seeing him put it into practice with Track Kat (Head of Ciaron Maher Racing’s Sports Science Katrina Anderson, or Track Kat, as she is more commonly known in racing circles) who likes to pioneer that.”

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Turnbull admitted Commander Harry was the beneficiary of the strong tempo set by free-going import Blue Cup.

“The race was set-up for him today with Blue Cup running along but to the horse’s credit he kept galloping,” Turnbull said.

“I think he will get a solid ten furlongs like he did today and maybe even a mile and a half now that he is a bit more seasoned and more mature.

“A big thanks to the patient ownership group that is here today, including Stephen and Tash at SCT Syndications, it is a great result.”

By Westbury Stud sire Reliable Man, Commander Harry is out of the Zabeel mare Our Josephina was bred by Greg Perry's Greenwich Stud.

Raised at Michelle Norman and Dave Keenan's Kilmore Farm in Matamata, Commander Harry was a $50,000 purchase at the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale by Busuttin and Young.

Vinery Stud will offer the yearling half-brother by Circus Maximus to Commander Harry at Inglis Classic as Lot 552– NZ Racing Desk

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Race Result - Quayclean (Bm70) 2000m

Caulfield Track: Good(3) Time: 2:01.89
1
Commander Harry
- 5g Reliable Man (GB) x Our Josephina (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: J Mott 60
2
1.3
Vasmee
- 7g Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Mizzna (NZ) (Montjeu (IRE))
Tnr: Nathan Dunn Rdr: Tatum Bull 58.5
Inglis January (Early) Online Sale $22,500
Seller: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing
Buyer: M Harding
Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale $160,000
Seller: Kitchwin Hills, Scone
Buyer: Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum
3
3
Slate
- 5g So You Think (NZ) x Calchris (AUS) (Commands (AUS))
Tnr: Matthew Cumani Rdr: Declan Bates 58.5
4
4.3
Mercian Hymn
- 6g Siyouni (FR) x Astronomy Domine (GB) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: Maddie Raymond Rdr: Jye McNeil 57.5
5
4.5
Blazing Rebel
- 7g Rebel Raider (AUS) x Street Blaze (AUS) (Street Sense (USA))
Tnr: David Brideoake & Matt Jenkins Rdr: W F Pinn 60.5
6
5.2
Oceans Of Stanima
- 7g Ocean Park (NZ) x Staxa Stanima (NZ) (Castledale (IRE))
Tnr: Ben Brisbourne Rdr: Celine Gaudray 59
7
7.7
Blue Moon
- 6m Shocking (AUS) x Dawn Till Dusk (NZ) (Manntari (IRE))
Tnr: M M Laurie Rdr: Carleen Hefel 58
8
9.2
My Brothers Keeper
- 4g Fiorente (IRE) x Any Dane Now (AUS) (Danehill (USA))
Tnr: S V Brown Rdr: M J Dee 57.5
9
10.7
French Moon
- 6g Puissance De Lune (IRE) x Manhattan Treasure (AUS) (Portland Pirate (AUS))
Tnr: P Koumis Rdr: D W Stackhouse 57
10
25.7
Blue Cup
- 8g Kendargent (FR) x Hunter Forward (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: Brian McGrath Rdr: Campbell Rawiller 62.5
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