Toorak Handicap To Determine Cox Plate Start For Commanding Jewel

Co-trainer Leon Corstens has revealed that a decision on a 2014 Cox Plate start for Commanding Jewel will be made after she runs in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on October 11.

Commanding Jewel remains a chance of contesting the 2014 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 25.

Commanding Jewel remains a chance of contesting the 2014 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 25. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

The Cox Plate odds of Commanding Jewel shortened significantly after she took out the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on September 13, but she suffered a surprise defeat as an odds-on favourite in the Group 2 Stocks Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on September 26.

Corstens said that Commanding Jewel had taken a while to recover from her Stocks Stakes runs, but he confirmed that there were no issues with the Commands filly and he is hopeful that she will be able to return to winning form if she is ridden quieter in the Toorak Handicap.

“We will see how she runs in the Toorak and make a decision after that,” Corstens told TVN.

“It’s onwards and upwards, we will just ride her quietly in the Toorak.

“I don’t think it suited being outside the leader on Friday.

“We went back through everything and looked at all her runs.

“If you look at her run in the Edward Manifold it was exactly the same as last Friday and she came out in Thousand Guineas and ridden cold she won impressively.

“That’s what we will be doing in the Toorak.”

Damien Oliver has ridden Commanding Jewel in the majority of her race starts, but he would be unlikely to make the weight required to ride the three-quarter-sister to Atlantic Jewel in the Toorak Handicap and Singapore-based hoop Corey Brown has been booked to take the ride.

Brown rode his 100th winner in Singapore overnight when he steered These Streets to victory over 1400 metres at Kranji and he has already had success in Australia during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival after winning the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) on Terravista at Royal Randwick on September 20 and the Group 2 Shannon Stakes (1500m) on Rock Sturdy at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

The leading hoop had little success in his first six appearances in the Toorak Handicap, but he changed his fortunes in the race when he took out the 2012 edition with Robert Heathcote-trained Solzhenitsyn.

The 2014 Cox Plate odds of Commanding Jewel have lengthened to $41 following her Stocks Stakes defeat, while Dear Demi is into $26 to win the Australasian Weight-For-Age Championship.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.