Tregea in command at Toowoomba

Hours of patient work have paid off for trainer Steve Tregea when giant gelding Command’n’conquer scored on debut at Toowoomba.

There are few bigger racehorses than Command’n’conquer, who stands more than 17 hands and weighs 630kg.

Tregea revealed Command’n’conquer had been a handful to train but in an unusual way.

“He is an easygoing horse but he hated the barriers. We would have him in a jump out and he would trot around until he got within a couple of hundred metres and then he would stop as if to say, ‘I am not doing this’,” Tregea said.

“We had him in about four jump-outs to get him used to it before he finally came around and would walk to the barriers.”

The hard work paid off when Command’n’conquer ($5.50) sat four deep most of the way to win a maiden by 2-3/4 lengths on Wednesday.

Tregea also breeds and races his own horses and sent his unraced mare Commanding Queen to sire Warhead to get Command’n’conquer.

“Commanding Queen is a half-sister to my handy horse Prioritise and she has got a handy filly in Conquering Lass, who won five races.”

“I sent Commanding Queen to Warhead because he traces to some of the sire Snippets’ bloodlines and a few good judges rap Warhead,” he said.

Tregea got a double when Prioritise ($2.20) maintained his unbeaten record at Toowoomba when he won the Open Handicap (1300m).

Prioritise had not won in a year but had been racing well in stakes company.

“He has run some good races against good horses and he has won 11 races so he has been good to us,” Tregea said.

Caloundra galloper Bronzegate ($4.80) returned to his best form when he won the TAB Handicap (2150m).

“He had been working well but not showing it on the track. Today he had his mind on the job,” co-trainer Sheila Laxon said.

Wealth’n’power’s maiden win was a family affair, with Michael Frappell training the gelding for his father Bob, who runs Clear Mountain stud.

Bob Frappell stands the gelding’s sire Tycoon Ruler, who has produced a string of recent winners including exciting filly Exondabeach.