Former hurdler Commissioned will be set for the Group 1 $6m Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 1 after scoring a decisive win over the Royal Ascot Carnival.
2012 Melbourne Cup winning jockey Brett Prebble holds onto the Melbourne Cup that English stayer Commissioned will be chasing. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Trainer Gordon Elliott’s recent purchase Commissioned relished the staying distance of two miles and five a half furlongs when he scored a one and three quarter lengths win in the £80,000 Queen Alexandra Stakes on the last day of the five day Royal Ascot Carnival last Saturday.
Although Commissioned has won three of his thirteen starts over the jumps, new owner Nick Bradley said that the Authorized six year old will be doing is future racing on the flat with high priority given to securing a start in the 2016 Melbourne Cup.
“He won’t be going back over hurdles. He doesn’t look like a hurdler to me,” Bradley told Thoroughbred News.
“The Goodwood Cup (July 28) is a possibility, or we could go to York for either the Ebor or the Lonsdale Cup (August 19), but the Melbourne Cup is Plan A.”
Bradley paid £65,000 for Commissioned at auction in April and is very pleased to get a quick return from his first start for him.
“When I went to the sale, he was the horse I wanted to buy,” Bradley said,
“I paid a bit more than I wanted to for him, but it’s been a few years since I’ve been as excited about a horse as I was about him.
“Last Saturday was obviously a great day and hopefully there’s a lot to look forward to.”
Commissioned has been ruled out of running in the £150,000 Northumberland Plate (2 miles, 56 yards) at Newcastle on Saturday but could head to Glorious Goodwood at the end of July for the Group 2 £300,000 Goodwood Cup (2 miles).
“We had him in the (Northumberland) Plate, but Gordon just wanted to give him 10 days on the easy list,” Bradley said.
In early markets for the Melbourne Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au, Commissioned is marked as a $61 chance while the Aidan O’Brien trained Order Of St George heads the betting at $13.
Order Of St George shot to the top of the Melbourne Cup market order after scoring a commanding win in the Group 1 £400,000 Gold Cup (2 mile 4 furlong) at Royal Ascot on June 16.
