Trainer Leon Corstens is still hopeful that his stable star Commanding Jewel will be fit to run in the Group 1 $400,000 David Jones NBCF Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on October 12 after developing a minor leg injury overnight.
Commanding Jewel wining the Let's Elope Stakes at Flemington at her 2nd run back. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Commanding Jewel was due to run in Sunday’s Group 1 $400,000 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield and Corstens is banking on a quick recovery from the hind leg injury to get her back to the track.
“The vet treated her so she can’t run on Sunday,” Corstens told the Herald Sun.
“We had her scanned and the vet seems to think she may have tweaked a hamstring.
“Hopefully with the treatment it will be as good as gold and with her residual race fitness we won’t miss much work and we can still get her up to the mark for the Toorak Handicap.”
Like her three quarter sister, super mare Atlantic Jewel, Commanding Jewel had to spend an extended period on the sideline due to injury, but was able to return to the winner’s list with a victory in the Group 2 $220,000 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on September 7 at her second run back.
Corstens was preparing the Commands filly for the Autumn after winning the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield last October but had to put her out when she developed a fetlock problem.
But Corstens is hoping for a quicker recovery this time with the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 26 on the agenda.
“She is a valuable mare but I’d like to think we have plenty of racing left in her,” Corstens said.
Commanding Jewel, the winner of four races from only seven starts, is way down in the order of betting for the Cox Plate at $51, but another good performance in Spring could see her price shorten dramatically.
Headline line mare Atlantic Jewel still holds the top spot in the market order at $3.30 even after suffering her first defeat at the hands of Kiwi giant killer It’s A Dundeel in the Group 1 $400,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
The Murray Baker trained It’s A Dundeel was a noticeable firmer and is now marked at $3.80 with Gai Waterhouse’s imported galloper Fiorente at $6.50.
