Congratulations to our Dynamic Team of Owners that race NAVAL COMMISSION after our 3yo gelding by MERCHANT NAVY ex PARFAITS Won on Sunday at Nowra, when first up from a spell.
A confident ride on a lovely horse by in form jet pilot Blake Spriggs, resulted in our CIARON MAHER & DAVID EUSTACE trained NAVAL COMMISSION proving too big and too strong for his opponents.
NAVAL COMMISSION (59.0kgs) won Race 6, the STROUD HOMES MAIDEN PLATE (1400m) claiming a 0.4 length eased down victory over $5 equal favourite NOTABADONE (55.0kgs) with THINK SHE IS A STAR (57.0 kgs) 1.4 lengths third.
On a Heavy 8 surface he ran 1.26.02 with a last 600m of 35.70 and banked $19,575 for first prize being $13,950 + $5,625 in BOBS Bonus.
NAVAL COMMISSION
NAVAL COMMISSION has taken his career to 3 Starts: 1 – 0 – 1 and $22,550.
The only worry to us about this event first-up was they may have been a touch sharp for him at the1400m trip. By Merchant Navy from Parfaits, he is the half-brother to Qld Derby winner SONNTAG and is showing the team that like Sonntag, the further he gets the better he will be.
1/2 Brother to Gr1 Winner Sonntag
Then first-up on a Heavy track, with a strong wind, would fitness be an issue, but the stable was confident he had done enough for the assignment.
Then the race changed shape significantly as did tactics at scratching time. Set to be a field of 14 with 4 emergencies, 8 scratchings reduced the field to10 runners and took expected speed out of the race.
NAVAL COMMISSION was turned out in awesome condition by the stable, which saw him firm in betting on the day from $10.00 into $4.60 before a barrier incident left connections worried if he would be a late scratching when he reared and momentarily got himself caste in the barriers.
However, after a considered veterinary inspection behind the barriers, our horse was passed fit and resumed his place in the barriers. Due to this misadventure, understandably he blew late in the betting and went from $4.60 to $6.50.
This was a tough race on paper in which to resume but we had little choice, we had to get him up and going. His work had been excellent at home, and our trainers kept telling us the horse was working well and ready for a good first up effort.
However, the formlines were muddling, and he was facing a Heavy track. The race was a field of 10 and as they were ready to jump, there were 5 horses in the market from $5.00 to $6.50. There will likely be some good formlines come out of this event.
Our pre-race tactics upon the anticipated speed map showed us that from barrier 2 we should settle third one off the fence one pair back of Highland Falcon who would spear across to the paint and we would sit at the girth of Romantic Rock who from barrier 1 would push up and the others would find their places in behind.
However, things often go wrong when horses race outside their own patterns and they bring themselves undone and cause havoc for others in the field.
Here, as the gates crashed back the field was away as one before as predicted, Highland Falcon speared across to the fence and Blake had Naval Commission in 3rd on the outside of Romantic Rock before Think She’s A Star (Alysha Collet) and Miss Givings (Jess Taylor) turned the race upside down by pushing forward.
Think She’s A Star crossed to sit second giving us a lovely one out one back trail with Miss Givings to its outside. However as soon as Think She’s A Star got its position, that runner caused interference by checking to harshly when putting the brakes on causing us to check off its heels and be shuffled back one pair, so Plan A was out the window.
Blake showed his experience by slotting back onto the fence following Romantic Rock but we were 3 pairs back and now, just off mid-field, 6 lengths off the speed.
Aware his horse was feeling terrific under saddle, Blake didn’t want to be stuck on the fence, in worse going and behind a slow one. He wanted to be 3-4 deep in the running line.
Passing the 600m Blake steered one out, off the heels of the horse we were following, and the timing was just right as the field started to bunch on the point of the turn.
He got onto the back of Miss Givings, who was tracking up 3 deep with Think She’s A Star under neath us and Notabadone 4 deep to our outside.
Swinging for home, Naval Commission was a couple of lengths off the speed but was caught in behind a struggling Miss Givings whilst Robbie Dolan on Notabadone tried to play jockey pushing Blake Spriggs in behind that runner as they balanced for the 300m run home. Blake was having none of that, and angled out into the running line and gave that runner a shove, pushing it out of the way but that process cost us momentum and one length.
Passing the 250m NAVAL COMMISSION had balanced again before starting to extend and give chase, some three lengths off the speed.
The first horse he reeled in was Think She’s A Star then Notabadone to his outside and that pair started to descend on the leader Highland Falcon whilst Think She’s A Star was still challenging.
At the 150m, they dropped Highland Falcon and now it was left to the three to fight out the finish.
Blake was riding supremely confident. He pushed the “go button” and started to draw clear.
At the 50m mark NAVAL COMMISSION was drawing away with authority allowing Blake to sit up and steer the final 50m as the Dynamic Duo cruised to the post.
CONGRATULATIONS to BLAKE SPRIGGS who has been riding in terrific touch and that’s his second win in a row wearing our silks, having won on Friday for us in Canberra with FLIC EN FLAC also trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
CONGRATULATIONS also to the Team at CIARON MAHER Racing who keep their machine churning out the winners for us.
Most Importantly, CONGRATULATIONS to the Top Team of Dynamic OWNERS who own and race NAVAL COMMISSION: Dynamic Syndications Racing, Mr P J Woollett, Mr J W Sutherland, Mr A S Taylor, Mr D M Badger, Ms J E Mors, Team 2750, Mr G S J England, Gallop Schnell, Mr J Johnson, Mr A Holbeck, P R M F Racing, Mr J R Gilmore, Mr J J Davis, Ms DM Goodwin, Mrs T E Parish, Mr A M Parish, Mr A Torino, Entain.
It may have just been a Nowra Maiden on a Sunday, but deficiencies in the racing calendar forced us race there. The future certainly looks bright for this middle-distance style of galloper.
Naval Commission - Nowra 21.5.23 from Dynamic Syndications on Vimeo.
This was our 819th Overall Race Win and our 49th Race Win for the current racing season.
Importantly he became Dynamic Syndications 286th Individual Winner from 329 individual runners = 86.9%
Onwards and Upwards !