Thousand Guineas winner Commanding Jewel is on track for Spring Carnival return after a comfortable win in an 800m jump out at Flemington today.
Commannding Jewel is on track for a Spring Carnival campaign. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Commanding Jewel was having her first public appearance since trainer Leon Corstens scrapped a Brisbane Winter Carnival campaign after the mare failed to recover in time from some niggling injuries and instead decided to concentrate on a Spring Carnival program.
Leon Corstens and his son Troy have joined forces and the co-trainers will map out a Spring Carnival plan after Commanding Jewel contests another jump out in a fortnight.
“That was her first trial back, so she definitely needs another one before she goes back to the races,” Troy Corstens told Racing Victoria News.
“Dad hasn’t made his mind up where she’s going to kick off yet. She’ll trial here at Flemington again in two weeks time probably and then he’ll pick out something when she’s nice and fit and ready to go.”
The Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 25 is high on the agenda for the Commands mare and if she can remain injury free would have to be considered a real chance of taking of the weight for age championship.
Commanding Jewel has already tasted Group 1 success with a clear cut win in the 2012 Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield.
Troy Corstens was most impressed with the performance of Commanding Jewel at Flemington after she was able to beat Golden Slipper winner Mossfun in the smart time of 47.05 seconds for the 800m.
“She trialled very nicely,” Corstens said.
“Mossfun ran second, she actually trialled really good as well, so both of them look like they’ve come back in a good way.
“It was a nice, quick time. It wasn’t the fastest time for the morning, but it was still a very good time.”
It has almost been twelve months since Commanding Jewel has made a race day appearance and hasn’t started since winning the Group 2 $220,000 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington in September during last year’s Spring Carnival.
Current Cox Plate markets at Ladbrokes.com.au have Commanding Jewel listed as a $41 chance while the Gai Waterhouse trained Carlton House heads the betting at $9 just ahead of Sydney Autumn Carnival stars Sacred Falls and Silent Achiever at $11.
