Sydney, September 18 – A fighting win by flashy chestnut gelding Cateclipse in the final event at Rosehill on Saturday capped a fine week for his sire Catbird, who was also represented by metropolitan winners Catchword (Warwick Farm), Poloibird (Belmont) and Wild Cat (Avondale in NZ).

The Gai Waterhouse trained Cateclipse has won six of 22 starts, all of them in the metropolitan area, and was stakes-placed last preparation when third in the Group Three Hawkesbury Gold Cup.

Bred and offered for sale by John Morrissey of Retreat Farm, Cateclipse was purchased by Waterhouse for $110,000 at the 2003 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale where he was the highest priced yearling sired by Catbird and also the fifth highest priced offering of the entire sale.

Five-year old Cateclipse won on debut as a juvenile at Canterbury and has since amassed $267,600 in prizemoney for his lucky group of seven owners.

Waterhouse looks to have another smart Catbird on her hands in the shape of three-year old gelding Off and Gone, which opened up to win a barrier trial at Rosehill last Friday by five lengths.

A $160,000 purchase from the draft of Yarraman Park Stud at the 2005 Magic Millions Yearling Sale, Off and Gone thrashed the opposition to win his only start in a juvenile maiden at Gosford back in June by four lengths.

Off and Gone is from the Royal Academy (USA) mare Smytzer’s Roylani, a daughter of former brilliant racemare Paklani, and judging by his performance last Friday it will not be long before we see him back in the winners list.