Melbourne, December 31 – Improving Adelaide based gelding Starbird made a successful trip into Victoria on Saturday, storming home to post a half-length victory over stakes-winner Kaphero in the 1000 metre event for three-year olds.

“I think he’s well above average and even though it was a small field he treated them with contempt”, said winning jockey Craig Newitt.

Prepared by Ken Sweeney at Morphettville, the son of Catbird has now won three of eight starts and has been placed a further three times, his efforts rewarding connections with $62,790 in prizemoney.

Starbird was purchased by Sweeney for $35,000 at the 2005 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne and is the second foal of Cosmic Queen, a metropolitan winning daughter of Geiger Counter (USA), with no Black Type performers in her immediate family.

Starbird is one of over 40 individual winners this season for his Golden Slipper winning sire Catbird, whose progeny earnings since August 1 top $1.4 million.