Fighter Command is by far the biggest horse Jess Tubbs has trained and she hopes he is one of the best.
Although he’s five, Fighter Command is still learning the caper despite boasting 12 wins from just 23 starts.
“We always thought he could be something special and time will tell,” Tubbs said.
“He’s by far the biggest horse I’ve trained and, amazingly, he’s grown again during his spell. He’s enormous.”
Fighter Command hasn’t raced since running way below his best when second in the world’s richest harness race, the $2.1mil TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 6, last year.
“I had a full bone scan done on him after that run and it showed his knees weren’t great, so we treated them and gave him a long break,” Tubbs said.
“I couldn’t be happier with the way he’s come back. He’s actually come up really quickly and seems to be pacing a bit more solidly than last time.”
Fighter Command has won two Melton trials in preparation for his return in a small but select seven-horse free-for-all at the same track on Saturday night. He’s drawn gate five.
“The trials have been good and so far he seems a bit more mature and tractable this time in, but they’ve been in two or three horse trials, while racing in a bigger field is a lot different,” Tubbs said. “The signs are good, but I’m not counting my chickens just yet.”
Given that, Tubbs spoke with Fighter Command’s Tasmanian-based owners and said she would let the horse show them how high they should aim this year.
“This was always going to be a bit of a quieter year with him, one where we look to get him a bit more ringcraft and hope he matures,” she said.
“There’s obviously the Brisbane Inter Dominion and I’m not ruling that out, but at this point we’re just looking to give him a couple of starts and see where he’s at.
“The other option is to go to Brisbane around Inter Dominion time (July) but more for the experience and run in the second tier races.”
Fighter Command won nine of his first 11 starts and was set to contest the 2024 TAB Eureka as a three-year-old before being struck down by severe colic attack and almost dying.
He faces a serious first-up test against a field headed by veteran giant-killer Bulletproof Boy, who is backing-up quickly after a heartbreaking run in last Saturday night’s $1 million Miracl;e Mile won by Leap To Fame.
The Cranbourne-based 11-year-old struck early trouble, galloped and lost all chance. His effort to get going again and run seventh, beaten just 11.8m, was remarkable.
Tubbs also has her talented young trotting mare No Money Honey resuming on Saturday night.
“She’s straight into the deep in a race like this and it’s very much a starting point for her,” she said.
Multiple Group 1 winner Rockinwithattitude and emerging four-year-old mare I Am Wilma look the hardest to beat in that race.
