Green Birdie (NZ) Flashes Home for Second

GREEN BIRDIE FLASHES HOME FOR SECOND                                     13 Sept 2010

Green Birdie(NZ) (Catbird) advanced his case for Japan’s Gr.1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m) at Nakayama on October 3 with a bold second in last night’s Gr.2 Centaur Stakes at Hanshin Racecourse.
On the instruction to ride him quiet, New Zealand jockey Mark Du Plessis had the top weight chance just rear of midfield on the rails coming into the straight, and when time came for the handbrake to be released, the pair flashed home three wide.The post however, would come up a shade too soon, with the pair ultimately missing by a neck to Dasher Go Go (JPN).
Green Birdie’s Hong Kong trainer Caspar Fownes was understandably thrilled with the performance.
"Obviously we came here to win and in that respect we have to be a bit disappointed," Fownes reported to the HKJC.
"But we have to be very excited too as he's run a really cracking race and given us every hope for the Sprinters Stakes next month.
"We got shuttled back a little bit more than we wanted and got out a little bit later than we wanted, but I'd said to Mark (jockey Du Plessis) that I wanted him ridden quiet. Of course it's a little bit heartbreaking to get so close, but I couldn't really ask for anything more than that and his last sectional must have been something amazing."
Green Birdie’s breeder Tim Bodle of Whakanui Stud was similarly impressed with the effort and has plenty to look forward to at home with the family of the Gr.1 KrisFlyer International Sprint winner.
"Second in Japan, that's pretty good," Bodle told Waikato Times’ Aidan Rodley.
"We've got a half-sister by Encosta De Lago going to the yearling sales at Karaka next year."
Bodle has previously bred a winner in Japan, a half-brother to the Bodle family-owned Melbourne Cup winner Empire Rose, who was herself invited to contest the Japan Cup, although the owners decided against it.


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