Newgate Farm’s Deep Field posted a Group double of new stakes-winners on Saturday with English Riviera saluting at Caulfield in the Group III MRC Thoroughbred Club Stakes before speedy mare Sky Command ploughed through the heavy 10 at Randwick to win the Group III ATC The Nivison (1200m).
Now trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou after starting her career with Gary Portelli, Sky Command has always been a very speedy conveyance with a liking for heavy ground and she found conditions to suit.
Well ridden by Regan Bayliss, Sky Command played to her strengths and claimed her first Black Type victory by nearly two lengths.
A homebred for Bert Vieira and his family, who were on track to watch her success, Sky Command has four wins and three placings from 13 starts with prizemoney topping $326,000.
“The way the track’s been racing, we were really happy to see her bounce and put herself right on top of the speed and find the fence,” Sterling Alexiou.
“No doubt they’ll (the Vieira family) get a big thrill out of it. She’s a mare that’s always showed stakes ability, so it’s good to see her put her hand up today and put a bit of black type next to her name.
“She’s a great type of mare so no doubt she’ll throw good types.”
Sky Command 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 champion colt Trapeze Artist, but has no foal this spring after missing to him last year.
Sky Command is the 19th stakes-winner for Deep Field, who is the reigning champion sire in Hong Kong and stands at a fee of $88,000.
