Girls Command was too small to go through the sales ring as a yearling but she is set to make a big impression at her Saturday metropolitan debut at Doomben.
The filly caught the eye with her effort to finish second at Ipswich last start when she missed the jump by five lengths and was tailed off before charging home to get within 1-1/4 lengths of the winner.
Girls Command is back against her own age group on Saturday when she runs in the Entire Recruitment Handicap (1110m).
Trainer Michael Nolan believes Girls Command’s bad start at Ipswich was just one of racing’s anomalies.
“She reared up as the gates opened and got left. It always looks even worse in 1000-metre races because they are off and gone and you are just hitting the ground,” Nolan said.
“We had intended to ride her back in the field from a wide gate but not that far back.
“She has drawn a lot better on Saturday but it is a pretty hot field.”
Nolan has a good opinion of Girls Command who has won races at Toowoomba and Ipswich and been placed in midweek city company.
“I like her as a city horse but we will have a better idea where we stand after Saturday,” he said.
Nolan trained Girls Command’s dam Girls Aloud and was keen to get hold of her offspring.
“She was tiny and wouldn’t have been big enough to go through the sales ring. She isn’t much bigger now but she has a motor,” he said of Girls Command.
“I got a group of people from around Toowoomba to race her and they have already had a lot of fun.”
Saturday’s race also marks the return of Miss Cover Girl, who won four races as a two-year-old, and Executed, a six-time juvenile winner in North Queensland.
