Monday, 13 August 2012: Commanding Jewel has some big shoes to fill, but the highly touted three-year-old relation to the freakish Atlantic Jewel is on her way following an impressive debut win at Swan Hill on Monday.
The three-quarter sister to Atlantic Jewel carried a boom after an effortless trial win at Wangaratta and did not disappoint with a soft 1.5 lengths win in fast time.
The daughter of Commands clocked 57.29 seconds for the 975-metre trip and ripped home her final 200 metres some 4.5 lengths faster than the standard average.
Trainer Leon Corstens has high aspirations for Commanding Jewel (Commands x Regard, by Zabeel), who notably was among 26 three-year-olds nominated last week for the W.S. Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in October.
She is also nominated for the Caulfield Guineas and Thousand Guineas.
Managing part-owner Brad Spicer purchased the filly for $205,000 at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale six months before the unbeaten Atlantic Jewel raced.
“It's good to get that one out of the way because there has been a little hype about her,” Spicer said.
“She'll probably go straight to Saturday class now."
“We think she'll be better once she gets to 1600 metres. She's a Thousand Guineas horse if all goes according to plan over the next two months."
Atlantic Jewel (
Fastnet Rock) won her debut at Geelong in August last year before progressing to win the G1 Thousand Guineas in October at her fourth start.
