One to Watch - Wyong

A $240,000 purchase from the 2016 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale from the Bell View Park draft looks to have resulted in a very nice two year-old homebred for Sun Stud.

Prepared by Gerald Ryan, Sebring colt Fortress Command was sent to the races for the first time at Wyong on Tuesday with a 1350 metre juvenile maiden chosen as his goal.

A longer starting point than most two year-olds kick off in, the race proved to be just what Fortress Command was looking for. Well educated with three recent trials under his belt, Fortress Command travelled off the pace for Brett Prebble and lengthened stride impressively down the running to cruise clear and win running away by a length and a quarter.

"He’s a nice colt that will be very good when he gets up over 1600 metres and further,” said Gerald Ryan.

"I told Sun Stud we might look at races like the Fernhill or Champagne Stakes for him later in the autumn.”

Fortress Command is a half-brother to Group III placed Leotie and is the third winner from stakes-placed High Chaparral (IRE) mare Prairie Star (NZ), who won up to 2100 metres so you can see why his trainer believes this colt is a classic horse in the making.

Prairie Star was in foal to Sebring when she was purchased by Sun Stud with Fortress Command the result of the mating and she has since produced a yearling filly by Vancouver and a weanling filly by Exceed and Excel.

She was one of 122 mares covered last spring by Sun Stud’s brilliant Snitzel sprinter Thronum at a fee of $17,600.

Fortress Command is one of a flurry of recent winners for Sebring, eight in the past seven days headed by his Group I winning filly Amphitrite, who returned in winning form at Flemington last Saturday.