Hong Kong, February 17 – Ill-fated Golden Slipper winner Catbird was in the frame at Sha Tin on Sunday when his four year-old son Green Birdie launched himself into Derby calculations with a powerful victory in the Mercedes Benz Hong Kong Derby Trial HK Gr 2 over 1800 metres.
Renowned for dropping to the rear in sprint races and charging home when it was all too late, Green Birdie appreciated the steadier tempo of this longer assignment and as the field straightened for home he was moving into a good position to challenge.
The athletic bay lengthened stride in impressive fashion giving a start and a beating to the hot favourite Helene Mascot, a winner of the Mercedes Benz Classic Mile HK Gr 1 last start, a race in which Green Birdie finished fourth.
"I think he will be able to stay 2000m in the Derby against his own age group but Green Birdie is going to be a very good horse down the road. He will be a top class miler, that’s his real distance," said trainer Caspar Fownes.
"It’s a great result today but I respect Helene Mascot a lot. I think he will be the one to beat in the Derby over a distance that will should him better."
It was the second win in Hong Kong for Green Birdie and his first stakes success, having transferred to the stable of Caspar Fownes following a successful Melbourne spring preparation as a three year-old.
Trained formerly by Brian Jenkins, Green Birdie had seven starts in Australia for two wins and was beaten a length by champion mare Miss Andretti when second in the Group Two MVRC Moir Stakes, as well as running fourth to Gold Edition in the Group One VRC Ascot Vale Stakes.
Bred and offered for sale by Whakanui Stud, Green Birdie fetched $230,000 at the 2005 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale and is the third foal of superbly bred mare Mrs Squillionaire.
A daughter of renowned broodmare sire Last Tycoon (IRE), Mrs Squillionaire is a sister to Group Three winner Palia (dam of stakes-winner Dr Green), also stakes-winner Just Awesome and stakes-placed Lady Capel, dam of Group Two winner Casino Prince and stakes-winner Lord of the Land.
Green Birdie is the 12th stakes-winner for Catbird, who died prematurely at Yarraman Park last year after a prolonged illness.
He is posthumously having a great season with over 50 individual winners placing him fourth on the leading sires list by winners, his progeny sure to be in demand at upcoming sales.
Catbird has two yearlings for Inglis Premier, 16 for Magic Millions, three for Inglis Easter and five for Inglis Classic.
