Commander Harry back in winner’s circle

[Wandering Eyes]

Handy stayer Commander Harry (NZ) (Reliable Man) 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.

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 (NZ) (Savabeel) and campaigned against a number of likely types in his Classic season including placings behind the likes of Jungle Magnate (NZ) (Tarzino) and Detonator Jack (NZ) (Jakkalberry).

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.”

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

“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 (NZ) 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.

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