Sydney/ Brisbane, July 12 – Yarraman Park sires Magic Albert and Catbird both featured at metropolitan meetings on Wednesday with unbeaten three year-old Abbacina scoring at Canterbury and Cat Eyes successful at Eagle Farm.

The Kris Lees trained Abbacina was resuming from a spell of 18 weeks, but with two trials under his belt he was well primed and duly backed into favouritism fo the restricted three year-old event over 1200 metres.

Given a perfect ride by Nash Rawiller, the handsome chestnut settled off the pace and then took a split between runners to charge home and win by the best part of a length.

“He has good ability and was never really 100% at home in the ground, so it’s to his credit that he picked up and found the line so well,” said Rawiller.

Retained to race by his breeder, Abbacina is a half-brother to good metropolitan winners O’Temptation and Yubi being from the Luskin Star mare Great Temptation, a full sister to Group Three placed Atatari.

Abbacina is yet another smart metropolitan winner for exciting young sire Magic Albert, whose book has filled rapidly this year at a fee of $16,500.

Ill-fated Golden Slipper winner Catbird posted his ninth juvenile winner this season when the Kelso Wood trained colt Cat Eyes saluted in the 1200 metre juvenile maiden.

Ridden forward from barrier two by Shane Scriven, Cat Eyes scored his first win in four starts having also placed on debut at Eagle Farm on May 9.

Cat Eyes was purchased by John Foote Bloodstock for $120,000 at the 2006 Magic Millions Yearling Sale, plucked from the draft of Rothwell Park.

He is the second foal of the Zeditave mare Wreckage, a good country winner of 13 races, whose extended family includes Group Two winner Been There and the more recent stakes-winner Walk Alone.

Catbird covered some outstanding books of mares in his last few seasons and with foals due on the ground this spring his achievements as a sire are far from complete.

His premature death has paved the way for another young son of Danehill (USA) to step up to the plate for Yarraman in the shape of Foreplay.

A stakes-winning Group One placed racehorse with a peerless pedigree, Foreplay has much to recommend him including the good looks that saw him fetch $625,000 as an Easter yearling.

After covering 108 mares last spring, Foreplay has been in keen demand again this year at a fee of $13,200.