Commanding Jewel on the way back

Monday 7 January 2013, 4:56pm

While many trainers have taken up temporary residence on the Gold Coast looking for the next superstar, Leon Corstens is happy to let others do his bidding as he stays home to oversee the progress of his team including Commanding Jewel.

Corstens relies on bloodstock agent Brad Spicer to select yearlings in the hope he can find another Commanding Jewel who is back in work at the trainer's country Victorian property at Romsey.

The Thousand Guineas winner and half sister to the unbeaten Atlantic Jewel cost $205,000 at the 2011 Magic Millions Sale at the Gold Coast and her five starts have so far yielded three wins and prizemoney of more than $400,000.

"Brad does all the buying and I'm happy to stay home and look after the horses including Commanding Jewel," Corstens said.

"She is back in work and is back bigger and better than she was in the spring.

"She looks terrific and I reckon she has put on about 40 kilos.

"The plan is to get her ready for races in Sydney. The Coolmore Classic over the 1500 metres is the ideal race to target.

"We work our horses in the reverse direction every other morning and she won't have any problems with that."

Corstens is hoping the left-handed groundwork will also be in Hadronica's favour when she heads to Rosehill on Saturday.

The five-year-old's past two starts have been in the 955m dashes at Moonee Valley for a fourth and a second and her trainer admits the 1100 metres of Saturday's Benchmark 75 for fillies and mares is as far as she wants.

"There's not a lot for her coming up in Melbourne," he said.

"The 1100 metres is her maximum. She can't go much further. When we discussed the options the owners decided they wanted to have a crack in Sydney."

Josh Parr will ride Hadronica who is one of 15 entries for the race.

Commanding Jewel isn't the only Group One performer Corstens is looking forward to this year with South Australian Derby winner Zabeelionaire not far away from a return to work.

Zabeelionaire finished down the track in the Melbourne Cup at the end of a six-start spring campaign which failed to produce the hoped-for results.

"I decided he needed a really good spell and we'll miss the autumn with him," Corstens said.

"I'll get him ready for the Brisbane carnival and then he can have a spell up there in the warmer weather."

– AAP

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