Hong Kong, March 1 – Golden Slipper winner Catbird featured at Happy Valley on Wednesday evening when four year-old gelding Winning Champ led throughout to notch his second Hong Kong win this season.
Beginning swiftly from barrier five, the Dennnis Yip trained Winning Champ was always traveling sweetly and looked the winner a long way from home as he kicked clear at the top of the straight, then held on to take the 1000 metre event by half a length.
A $70,000 Magic Millions purchase in 2004, Winning Champ is the second foal of the Grosvenor mare Lady Elaine (NZ), a full sister to Group One winner Captain Moonlight.
Winning Champ is a full brother to promising three year-old Turfiste, a last start winner at Hawkesbury for the Gai Waterhouse stable and an acceptor for the Canterbury meeting set down for Friday where he will tackle 1900 metres.
Turfiste made a good impression last season at two when pitched into the deep end having two starts in the Group Three STC Skyline Stakes and Group Two Pago Pago Stakes, finishing fifth on both occasions.
Purchased by Waterhouse at Magic Millions for $190,000, Turfiste has been given plenty of time to grow into himself and it will be interesting to see how he fares when stepped back up to metropolitan company on Friday.
His dam Lady Elaine (NZ) was sent back to Catbird in 2005 by her owner Stuart Ramsay, producing a filly foal last spring.
In-form sire Catbird has six yearlings entered for the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne and one for the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
