David Greene has always thought Free Bird would thrive over further ground, and she fulfilled that promise when winning over a middle distance at the first time of asking at Ellerslie on Saturday in the Golf Warehouse 2100.
The daughter of Tarzino jumped away well and settled in the early one-one position behind Allaces, and enjoyed an economical passage throughout before jockey Michael McNab presented her three-wide at the turn.
Ivy’s Dancer loomed ominously on her outside and they went head-to-head down the home straight, but Free Bird got the better of her rival in the last few bounds and scored by a head, with a further 1-3/4 lengths back to Allaces in third.
“When they (Ivy’s Dancer) first came to me I was a little bit concerned but halfway down she (Free Bird) got back on level terms and put in a good fight,” McNab said.
“A credit to David because in a mile she travels quite solid. He had her spot on today, she dropped the bridle and I just had to put her in the right direction, she is going well.”
A half-sister to Group One winner Stolen Dance, who Greene trained for the majority of her career, Free Bird had shown early promise, winning two of her first 10 starts, but had only been tested up to a mile prior to Saturday’s run.
Greene always felt she would be better over further ground, and he was delighted to be vindicated on Saturday.
“She has looked like a middle-distance horse the whole time, but she has had a tendency to do a few things wrong,” Greene said.
“She raced beautifully today and it helps when you have the same rider to stick with the horse for a few times, they get to know each other and her and Michael have got a really good combination now and he has educated her, has got her to relax well and he is bearing the fruits of that.
“She fought hard and she had a beautiful trip as well, which helps. I would like to think she can kick on with it from here.”
Greene knows the family well and said they can take time.
“It’s a slow-maturing family, they seem to get better with time, and she is rising five now and that’s when they have a tendency to come into their own,” he said.
“Being by Tarzino, who is a bit the same, but it’s just really encouraging the first time over ground to show that she might make the grade next season.”
Now into winter racing, Greene said Free Bird may now have a break before targeting loftier targets next season.
“We might be dictated to by the weather,” he said. “I think that might be the last race to suit up here, so it might be a short break unless we get another couple of dry weeks. She wouldn’t want to be on a really heavy track.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
