Fighter Command eyes off a TAB Eureka berth

Emerging three-year-old Fighter Command (Always B Miki) launched his harness racing assault on the TAB Eureka with a stunning track record performance at Cranbourne. 

The Jess Tubbs prepared pacer sat parked for the final  1200 metres of the race,  and with Greg Sugars barely moving a muscle,  Fighter Command cruised to the line holding a 10 metre margin  over his rivals in a track record mile rate of 1:55.6 for the 2080 metre trip. 

Sugars said the Tasmanian bred and owned Fighter Command will be aimed at the $80,000 Beautide in Hobart on August 3. 

The winner of the Beautide will take up Tasracing’s slot in the world’s richest harness race which will be staged at Menangle on September 7. 

“He will go down to Tasmania for the Beautide and hopefully win that and gain a place in the TAB Eureka,” Sugars said. 

Sugars believes Fighter Command is a better racehorse now than he was when fourth in a heat of the NSW Pacers Derby back in March. 

“He is a more tractable horse now than the last time he raced at Menangle and he is a big horse who is still a bit green and still has a bit of improvement in him,” he said. 

“We’ve always liked him and he is a promising horse who was a bit awkward to get going as a two-year-old.” 

The lightly raced pacer has now won six of his nine career starts and Sugars is hoping the owners’ patience will be rewarded. 

“He has got a big motor and we just need his body to catch up and handle it,” he said. 

“The owners have allowed us to give him plenty of time and I think they will reap the benefits.” 

Fighter Command is a son of Spitfire Rose whose great granddam Weona Jewel left the 1994 Inter Dominion Championship Final winner Weona Warrior and Weona Chief who ran third in the race at Globe Derby in 1990. 

The betting markets have installed Fighter Command as a $2.50 favorite for the Beautide.  

For complete race results, click here.

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink