News

Seagull doesn't deter Arctic Command

7th Nov 2010

Sydney Morning Herald - Saturday, 6 November 2010

Two-year-old Arctic Command has overcome a seagull attack to emulate his half-brother and win the Group Three Maribyrnong Plate at Flemington.

A year after General Truce claimed the feature, Arctic Command enhanced the pedigree when powering to the lead in the last 20 metres to score in a blanket finish in Saturday's time-honoured race.

Luckless at his race debut when poleaxed at the start, the gelding drew the outside gate at Flemington but plans for a trouble-free run were dashed 200 metres after the start when a seagull flew into his path.

Jockey Dale Smith said he saw the seagull flying towards him and feared the worst.

"I thought, 'I don't know about this one' but I sort of clipped him and he (Arctic Command) didn't take too much notice of it, so it was a good thing," Smith said.

Arctic Command was with the leaders most of the way but it wasn't until the dying stages of the race he was able to reach the lead and beat the erratic and fast-finishing Aashiq by a neck with first starter Running Tall a long neck away third.

Little more than a head separated fourth to seventh placegetters with Masthead finishing just in front Spectrolite, Eramor and Sanford.

Trainer Wendy Kelly said she liked Arctic Command from the first time she saw him parade at Kevin and Tanith O'Brien's Lauriston Park Stud and bought him for $55,000 at the Inglis yearling sale.

"I loved the attitude of the horse," Kelly said.

"He was just a very quiet, relaxed, easygoing sort of colt and looked like he was going to make a nice two-year-old with lovely short cannons and a lovely short back."

Arctic Command is the third winner from as many foals from General Nediym mare General Resolve who won one of 15 starts.

Her first foal Complete Control was placed in the Adelaide Magic Millions and General Truce trained on from last year's Maribyrnong Plate with placings in a Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield, in the Group Two Danehill Stakes at Flemington and the Group Three Dermody Stakes in Adelaide.

Arctic Command's sire, Freeze, is a Marscay stallion and won once in six starts earning just over $55,000.

He stands at Springfield Stud in Queensland for $4400.

Arctic Command races in the same maroon and lime colours of Kelly's best horse Bon Hoffa, who won a Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield and two Bobbie Lewis sprints at Flemington.

Kelly said Arctic Command was nominated for the Blue Diamond Stakes and would now be spelled with that race in mind.

"He's a lovely horse to train and Dale Smith's done a marvellous job," Kelly said.

Smith, who also rides the horse trackwork, was always keen to forge an association with the youngster.

"He was broken in by a cousin of mine and he actually rang me and said 'this thing's going to Wendy's and it's a really nice horse', so I sort of had high hopes for him from the start," Smith said.

AAP