More Stakes Success for Sky Command

Tara Madgwick - Saturday December 10

Renowned for her ability to handle wet tracks, speedy Deep Field mare Sky Command showed another string to her bow when winning her second Black Type race this season to land the Listed ATC Razor Sharp Stakes (1200m) on a good track at Randwick on Saturday.

Sky Command wins the Razor Sharp - image Steve Hart

Now trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou after starting her career with Gary Portelli, Sky Command has always been a very speedy conveyance and maturity is delivering the rewards promised earlier in her career.

Sky Command pressed forward for Regan Bayliss and kept up a good gallop to win by the best part of a length.

"She is just a mare in terrific form," said co-trainer Sterling Alexiou.

"She is really genuine and dry ground and 1200m seems no issue now.

"Obviously the day she won a stakes race her on a bottomless track she looked to get a lot of things in her favour but they all had their chance to run her down today."

Connections were considering sending Sky Command to stud this spring, but the decision to push on for another year has been a good one with the mare’s overall record now five wins and five placings from 16 starts with prizemoney topping $455,000.

Bert Vieira and Gerald Ryan - image Steve Hart

A homebred for Bert Vieira and his family, Sky Command continues the success for the family  with Gerald Ryan, who also trained Champion 3YO Trapeze Artist for them to win $5.5million.

She is the first winner for Love Commands, a winning daughter of Group III winner Sky Love from Stuart Ramsey’s famed Suggestive family that has produced horses like Group I winner Sky Cuddle and outstanding Group II winner Champagne Cuddles, the winner of over $1.4million.

Sky Command has an interesting pedigree that features three lines (6 x 4 x 4) of influential blue hen Eight Carat as her sire Deep Field traces in tail female line to the famed matriarch as do her first two dam sires Commands and Octagonal.

Love Commands has a yearling colt by Vieira’s Trapeze Artist, but has no foal this spring after missing to him last year.

Sky Command is one of seven stakes-winners this season for Newgate Farm’s Deep Field, who has 54 entries for Magic Millions and 16 for Inglis Classic.

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Race Result - Racing & Sports Razor Sharp LR 1200m

Randwick Track: Good(4) Time: 1:08.66
1
Sky Command
- 4m Deep Field (AUS) x Love Commands (AUS) (Commands (AUS))
Tnr: G Ryan & S Alexiou Rdr: Regan Bayliss 54
2
0.8
Waihaha Falls
- 5g Sacred Falls (NZ) x Think Mink (NZ) (Scaredee Cat (NZ))
Tnr: J A O'Shea Rdr: B Avdulla 54.5
3
0.9
Brigantine
- 4g Astern (AUS) x Lobola (AUS) (Anabaa (USA))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: Tim Clark 53
4
2.1
Fox Fighter
- 4g Foxwedge (AUS) x Stage Beauty (AUS) (Desert Prince (IRE))
Tnr: David Payne Rdr: S Clipperton 54
5
2.4
Superium
- 6g Verrazano (USA) x Rosie's Halo (AUS) (Al Maher (AUS))
Tnr: M, W & J Hawkes Rdr: Zac Lloyd 53
6
3.0
King Of Hastings
- 6g Ilovethiscity (AUS) x Handcut (AUS) (Danerich (AUS))
Tnr: A & S Freedman Rdr: Rachel King 53
7
3.5
Ranges
- 6g Shooting To Win (AUS) x I Believe (AUS) (Octagonal (NZ))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: J Parr 57.5
8
3.8
Taksu
- 7g Equiano (FR) x Raining (AUS) (Hurricane Sky (AUS))
Tnr: Joseph Pride Rdr: G Schofield 59
9
4.8
Eleven Eleven
- 6g Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Smokin' Alice (USA) (Smoke Glacken (USA))
Tnr: G D Hickman Rdr: Tyler Schiller 61
10
5.2
Surreal Step
- 6g Sidestep (AUS) x Continua (AUS) (Wonderful World (AUS))
Tnr: Brad Widdup Rdr: K Mc Evoy 53
11
5.3
Much Much Better
- 5g Stratum (AUS) x Dayeala (NZ) (Starcraft (NZ))
Tnr: Sara Ryan Rdr: Brock Ryan 54
12
6.6
Dragonstone
- 4g Mikki Isle (JPN) x Quick's The Word (AUS) (Shamardal (USA))
Tnr: Mark Newnham Rdr: Tom Sherry 53.5
13
7.4
Najmaty
- 4m I Am Invincible (AUS) x Najoom (AUS) (Northern Meteor (AUS))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: J R Collett 54
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