Fighter Command - Ready to battle for the Beautide

A TRACK record breaking display from exciting three-year-old Fighter Command has propelled him into TAB Eureka discussions.

The Jess Tubbs-trained gelding made it six wins from just nine starts when he sat parked and toyed with his rivals in a blazing 1min55.6sec mile rate for 2080m in the opening race at Cranbourne last night (Sunday).

Being Tasmanian owned-and-bred, Fighter Command is eligible for the $80,000 Beautide (2090m) in Hobart on August 3.

The Beautide was created by Tasracing as its vehicle to decide which horse fills in the Tasracing slot in the world’s richest harness race, the $2.1mil TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 7.

Magician won the race last year and went on to finish a terrific fourth in the TAB Eureka, banking $100,000 for his efforts.

Tubbs confirmed a Tassie trip was on the cards for Fighter Command, who ran fourth in the NSW Derby heat Menangle back in March and is unbeaten in two runs this campaign.

“That’s the plan, the Beautide,” she said. “The juggle for us is staff. We’ve got so many in work and only three of us working them.

“But this guy is promising and the Beautide looks a good option.”

Being a three-year-old, Fighter Command will get a preferential barrier draw advantage over his two major Beautide rivals, classy locals De Goey and Nyack.

Nyack ran fifth to stablemate Magician in last year’s Beautide, but has gone on to race 12 times since for seven wins and five seconds. He won a heat of the Raider Stakes at Launceston and the $60,000 final is this Sunday at the same track.

The clash between Nyack and De Goey, who ran third in the Beautide as a three-year-old last year, will be a real highlight.

Latest Beautide markets have Fighter Command favourite at $2.50 from De Goey $2.70 and Nyack ($3).

Fighter Command (Photo Stuart McCormick)