Toowoomba trainer Steve Tregea has only one slight reservation about his plan to help his gelding Command’n’conquer win his first stakes race.
Tregea decided to take Command’n’conquer to the Gold Coast to give the gelding a look at the track last week before his main target in the Group Three Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) on Saturday.
The plan looked worthwhile when Command’n’conquer was lost early on the strange track before rattling home to finish second in a 900m dash.
It was his first defeat in four starts but underlined his potential.
Tregea was happy with the effort and in particular with Command’n’conquer’s last 200m.
“He made up more ground than he was actually entitled to,” Tregea said.
“It was always going to be the problem that some of them might run him off his feet early.”
Tregea said he had only one concern about running Command’n’conquer in the race.
“I just wish the 900m race had been on the Wednesday and not the Friday,” he said.
” It would have given him that extra two days between runs. But that is just the way things turned out.”
Jockey James Orman has been Command’n’conquer’s rider in all four of his starts and will again ride him on Friday.
“Jim has a bit of a wrap on Command’n’conquer and is keen to stick with him,” Tregea said.
Tregea believes Command’n’conquer has the potential to be among the state’s best horses next season.
“He is getting better with race experience which isn’t surprising,” he said.
Tregea has already fielded on offer from Hong Kong for Command’n’conquer but it fell through.
