Karaka Graduates Sweep to Victory in Singapore

New Zealand Bloodstock graduates Green Birdie and Better Than Ever stole the show at Singapore's international meeting at Kranji over the weekend, notching up victories in two of the Group 1 feature events.

Green Birdie claimed victory last night taking out the S$1 million Group 1 KrisFlyer International Sprint (1200m) by a neck over local sprint king and race favorite Rocket Man.

Trained by Caspar Fownes in Hong Kong, Green Birdie delighted proud owner Roger Li Ka Chun with his performance and gave jockey Mark Du Plessis his first international Group 1 win.

Green Birdie is a six-year-old gelding by Catbird out of Mrs Squillionaire (Last Tycoon) and was bought from the draft of Whakanui Stud for NZ$230,000 by Willie Leung at the 2005 Premier Yearling Sale at Karaka.

Tim Bodle of Whakanui Stud, home to Mrs Squillionaire, said Green Birdie's dam has been served this season by Encosta de Lago, and she also has a weanling filly by the successful sire. Tim confirmed that the filly will be sold at the Karaka 2011 Yearling Sales if she is not kept at Whakanui.

Unbeaten local hero Better Than Ever (French Deputy x Songfest) showed his class once again on Friday, securing victory in the S$500,000 Singapore Guineas (1600m) by four-and-a-quarter lengths over Always Certain.

This Group 1 win maintains the perfect record of Singapore's champion three-year-old taking his tally to nine wins from nine starts and earning his connections a $150,000 bonus in winning the three legs of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge.

Owned by Tang Weng Fei, Better Than Ever was purchased by his trainer, Laurie Laxon, from Blandford Lodge at the Karaka 2008 Premier Yearling Sale for $80,000.

New Zealand-breds had further success at Kranji with a total of five of the eleven races on Sunday won by the New Zealand product. Kotipelto (Keeper x Sleep Well) took Race Eight (1200m) by over three lengths, Hear Me (Van Nistelrooy x Gordon's) won Race Six (1400m) by a narrow margin, the Laurie Laxon trained Intercept (Zerpour x Haughty Miss) claimed Race Four (1600m) and Recycle World (Shinko King x Gleaming Day) took Race Two (1200m) by half a length.