Commanding Jewel (Aus) (Commands {Aus}) still has the Cox Plate as her near-term objective, but will use Friday night's G2 W. H. Stocks S. at Moonee Valley against her own sex as a steppingstone to the event and not Sunday's Rupert Clarke S. as previously expected. A start in the Stocks S. opens the door to a final prep in the G1 Caulfield S. over the Cox Plate distance of 10 furlongs.
“That way we'll get to see how she handles the 2000 meters in the Caulfield S., rather than finding out for the first time in a Cox Plate,” trainer Leon Corstens, who trains the half-sister to the outstanding Atlantic Jewel (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) with son Troy, told Racing and Sports. “If she didn't get the 2000 [meters], or wasn't happy in that, we could rethink and go back to the [1600-meter G1] Myer Classic [Nov. 1] if we need.”
Commanding Jewel followed in the considerable hoofprints of her half-sister by winning the G1 Schweppes Thousand Guineas 12 months on. The brown mare won the G2 Let's Elope S. last September and most recently validated 13-8 favoritism to double up in that 1400-meter test, defeating the classy Dear Demi (Aus) (Dehere) at Flemington Sept. 13.
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