News

Classic Tribute to Catbird

3rd Dec 2011

In a great tribute to Yarraman Park’s ill-fated son of Danehill, Catbird, the Golden Slipper winning stallion’s progeny scored a two state stakes double today with both Monton and Wonderful Lass achieving big wins for their connections.

On a great day at Rosehill for Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale graduates, Monton provided the highlight with victory in the Listed ATC Festival Stakes over 1500m.

MONTON ($80,000 2008 Easter, 5g Catbird-Dynamic Flyer), purchased by David Lamond from the Brooklyn Lodge draft at Easter, took his career prizemoney past $300,000 with his second black type win adding to the G2 Hobartville Stakes in 2010. The gelding continued his liking for Rosehill scoring his fourth win at the venue for trainer Ron Quinton. Big celebrations followed with Quinton’s star apprentice Sam Clipperton riding Monton to victory in the biggest race of his short career, taking a late pick up ride when Chris O’Brien could not take the mount.

Whilst at Eagle Farm, a daughter from the last crop of Catbird became his 23rd individual stakes winner when Wonderful Lass took out the Listed Qld Tatt’s RC Recognition Stakes over 1600m.

Patinack Farm mare WONDERFUL LASS ($25,000 2009 Classic, 4m Catbird-Convent Girl) was purchased from the draft of Edinglassie Stud at Classic and is from the family of Patinack’s Caulfield Guineas winning stallion Wonderful World. It was a well-deserved first stakes win for a mare who has been in fine form this preparation for John Thompson with a 2.8 length win two starts ago at Doomben in a benchmark 90 handicap.

Yarraman Park who stood the remarkable Catbird for seven seasons, has one of the headline stallion acts at next month’s Inglis Sydney Classic Yearling Sale, with its current star sire Magic Albert having 24 lots catalogued for sale. In addition Brooklyn Lodge and Edinglassie Stud have drafts of seven and 10 yearlings respectively heading to Classic on 22-24 January.

Back at Rosehill, Monton was one of three Easter Yearling Sale graduates to enter the winner’s stall today, with quality wins also by Dynamic Honour ($100,000 2010 Easter, 3c Dynaformer-Madcap) and Single.

The impressive first up win of SINGLE ($25,000 2009 Easter, 4g High Chaparral-Myself) in the benchmark 75 handicap over 1500m, was of a horse clearly going places. The lightly raced son of High Chaparral from the Craig Carmody stable is now a winner of three races from six starts and was resuming following a midfield effort in the G1 Queensland Derby back in June during the horse’s first preparation.

Coolmore Stud’s High Chaparral has a draft of 20 yearlings consigned to the 2012 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, highlighted by a full-brother to champion eight time Group One winner So You Think, being prepared by Willow Park Stud. Another 14 yearlings by High Chaparral will be offered for sale at the 2012 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.