Injury troubled stallion Court Command has been retired and will go to stud in Queensland.
The former topline three-year-old will begin his stud career at Wattle Brae Stud this spring.
Court Command started favourite in the 2006 Caulfield Guineas after outstanding Sydney wins in the Up And Coming Stakes at Randwick, the Golden Rose at Rosehill and the Stan Fox Stakes at Randwick.
In the Golden Rose he beat seven prior or subsequent Group One winners including Gold Edition, Mentality, He's No Pie Eater, Empire's Choice and Casino Prince.
His winning sequence came to an end when he finished fourth in the Caulfield Guineas.
His career subsequently suffered due to recurring fitness problems that restricted him to only five starts in the last 18 months.
Court Command, trained by Darren Smith, fell just $3340 dollars short of $1 million prizemoney from four wins and one minor placing in his career of 10 starts.
He will be the first notable Group winning son of his sire Commands to go to stud.
One of Australia's most exciting stud prospects is set to make his debut on the Wattle Brae Stud stallion roster for 2008, with the historic Queensland thoroughbred nursery securing the services of Court Command (Bay 2003, Commands-Court House Lane, by Zoffany).
One of the leading 3-year-old sprinters of his generation, Court Command won 40 per cent of his lifetime starts, appearing nigh on unstoppable during a spring 3-year-old campaign that witnessed his blistering speed used to full effect.
Winner of his only outing as a juvenile when taking an 1100-metre maiden event at Wyong in a scintillating 1m03.40s, the performance served as a prelude to three outstanding performances seen from Court Command on his return to racing at the beginning of 2006/07.
Assigned the time honoured Group 3 AJC Up And Coming Stakes (1200m) at his second start back from a four-month spell, Court Command won by no fewer than four lengths from a maximum field of 15 runners.
Impressive as that was, the Up and Coming Stakes performance only warmed-up the gifted colt for his career best performance.
At only the fourth outing of his stunning career, Court Command streeted an exceptional STC Golden Rose (G3) field to the tune of two and a half lengths.
A true measure of the performance is revealed in the fact that found in the beaten division were no fewer than seven Group 1 winners, either leading into the contest or in post-race competition.
These included the champion racemare Gold Edition, the Classic winning 3-year-olds Mentality (AJC Randwick Guineas-G1), He's No Pie Eater (STC Rosehill Guineas-G1) and Empire's Choice (QTC Queensland Derby-G1), as well as this season's weight-for-age winner Casino Prince (AJC Chipping Norton S.-G1).
Court Command's 3-year-old spring campaign also featured a win in the Group 2 AJC Stan Fox Stakes (1400m) in the brilliant time of 1m22.13s, and at the prohibitive odds of 2/9 favourite.
Following his emphatic hat-trick of Sydney Group victories, Court Command next lined-up in the Group One MRC Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in which he again led the market and was sent out a 13/8 favourite.
The contest witnessed Court Command replicate the performance of his own sire Commands, finishing third in the most coveted race on the Australian 3-year-old racing calendar.
The parallels which can be drawn from their respective Caulfield Guineas minor placings are totally appropriate for Court Command, who is very much his father's son.
Both very powerfully built bays with dark points effective at distances ranging between 1000-1400 metres, Court Command and Commands possessed explosive speed most effective when racing over specialist sprint distances.
Indeed, this is very much characteristic of a breed that is winning sprint assignments the length and breadth of Australia, performances that have long since established Commands as one of the most commercial sire-sons of Danehill (USA).
With his oldest progeny still only 5-year-olds, Commands has sired no fewer than 236 individual winners, of which 32 have earned black-type.
His best known offspring include (dual Group 1 winner) Undue, (Group 1 winner) Paratroopers, El Cambio, Marching, Friday Creek, Posadas, Monet Rules and Keen Commander - horses that number amongst the leading sprinters in the land over the past couple of seasons.
Court Command is the first significant son of Commands to enter stud service following his retirement from racing with the record of four wins and one minor placing from 10 outings that netted earnings of $996,600.
An introductory service fee of $8,800 (inc. 10% GST) should see him particularly well received by Queensland broodmare owners who seem certain to identify Court Command as an ideal QTIS stallion.
For any further information regarding Court Commands, please contact Wattle Brae Stud proprietor Gary Turkington on (07) 4696 4555.
