Commands is playing catch-up on the Australian winners’ premiership after Encosta de Lago jumped the blocks in August.  It’s early days but the Darley sire kept in touch with the Coolmore champion when his mares Saturday Matinee and Brasileira completed a running double at Wyong on Friday.

Commands took the title in 2009-10 to deny Encosta a hat-trick of winners’ premiership and, along with Redoute’s Choice, seem certain to fight it out again in 2010-11.  Encosta de Lago has sired 24 winners of 25 races (101 starters) so far this season while Commands has 19 winners of 23 races (103 starters).

Saturday Matinee (5m  Commands – Royal Theatre by Royal Academy) won the Magic Mile for local trainer John Hubbard.  She was a busy bee at three winning three races from 17 starts but was winless in eight starts as a four year-old.

The mare commenced this season with a victory at Newcastle on August 7 and won again on Wyong Cup day.  She was bred at Murralla Stud and is the first foal of the John Hawkes trained Randwick winner Royal Theatre.

Commands open his stakes winning account this season when Brasileira did best in a head-bobbing finish to the Listed Mona Lisa Stakes.  He has now sired 30 black-type winners and that total includes Skilled (G1 AJC Champagne Stakes) and Silver Point (LR Grand Prix de la Riviera) who were also bred on the Quest For Fame cross.

Brasileira (5m Commands – Interlagos by Quest For Fame) defeated G1 AJC Oaks winner Once Were Wild in the Mona Lisa.  It improved her record to 5 wins and five placings from 12 starts.  The Darley mare is from a sister to Listed VATC Debutant Stakes winner Le Man.