The loss of ill-fated Golden Slipper winner Catbird was again highlighted when his Hong Kong based son Green Birdie claimed the biggest win of his career at Kranji in Singapore on Sunday when taking out the Group One Krisflyer International Sprint over 1200 metres in driving rain, reports Tara Magdwick in www.breednet.com.au.She says: The Caspar Fownes trained Green Birdie, ridden by Mark Du Plessis, scored by a neck over home town favourite Rocket Man (Viscount) with Aussie bred HK trained Happ
The loss of ill-fated Golden Slipper winner Catbird was again highlighted when his Hong Kong based son Green Birdie claimed the biggest win of his career at Kranji in Singapore on Sunday when taking out the Group One Krisflyer International Sprint over 1200 metres in driving rain, reports Tara Magdwick in www.breednet.com.au.
She says: The Caspar Fownes trained Green Birdie, ridden by Mark Du Plessis, scored by a neck over home town favourite Rocket Man (Viscount) with Aussie bred HK trained Happy Zero (Danzero) two-and-a-half lengths away third. Green Birdie, who is raced by Hong Kong owner Roger Li Ka Chun, clocked the time of 1 min 09.62 secs. Rocket Man finished second in the same race last year to another Hong Kong raider in Sacred Kingdom and while he was brave in defeat, nothing could be taken away from Green Birdie.
"It's my biggest win," said Du Plessis. "I won the Singapore Gold Cup here a couple of times but this race is an International Group 1. I only got the ride when Brett (Prebble) couldn't ride him and I hope now that I might be able to stay with him, but that will be a decision to be made by the owners."
He added that to win the race for Caspar Fownes was a special moment for him as the trainer had been inspirational in lending a helping hand.
"To win for Caspar is such a great feeling," said Du Plessis. "He has been a great support for me in Hong Kong and to repay him in this way is just fantastic. He usually gets back, but I rode him where he was comfortable. He travelled that good and he gave a good kick. Before coming up from Melbourne he had shown form on wet ground, so the ground wasn't really a concern for me. He handled it really well."
Trainer Caspar Fownes could not contain his delight in landing an International Group 1 sprint and at the same time defeat the horse recognised by many as possibly the best sprinter in the world.
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.