Beaten less than two lengths first up when fourth in the G2 ATC Golden Pendant behind Lazzura, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Surfin’ Bird was simply too strong, winning the $240,000 G3 MRC Evergreen Turf Vase (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Sent off the second favourite, jockey Jordan Childs went forward from barrier seven in the 12-horse field to sit outside the leader, and race favourite Savitri.
Starting to edge closer at the 600m mark, Childs asked his mount for an effort and the leading pair pulled away from the rest of the field to fight it out.
Eventually getting her head in front, it wasn’t until the 100m mark that she really started to assert her superiority, pulling away to record her first black type victory by two lengths.
Holding on for second after leading throughout, the Michael Freedmand trained Savitri looks capable of adding further black type to her record this campaign, with Perfect Ten (NZ) finishing a furthest two and a quarter lengths way in third.
Representing the Waterhouse/Bott stable was by Sean Cooper, who spoke post-race.
Caulfield Race 3 | Surfin' Bird Surfin' Bird retains her unbeaten record over a mile, careering away under Jordy Childs to win the Evergreen Turf Vase ?? ?? Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app REPLAYS: https://t.co/HEhdpoAdc6 CAULFIELD-ONLY LIVE: https://t.co/ZyYNNgqJkj https://t.co/nLq6aVuv3o
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 10, 2026
“It was a great ride from Jordy,” said Cooper. “The horse has done so well to get here. Adrian did really well at Randwick preparing her to come here and well done to the Melbourne team for putting on the final touches and Gai has been down here as well.”
“First Light Racing have been great supporters of the stable as well. She just loves Caulfield. These fillies and mares can have their favourite spots to run and this track seems to be one of them.
Having his first race day ride on the mare, jockey Jordan Childs highlighted how well prepared she was.
“Extremely well prepared by Gai and Adrian and the team in Melbourne,” said Childs. “She came to the races in terrific order and it just worked out perfectly for her from the wide gate.
“We were able to go forward and get a nice camp off the leader and I was pretty confident a long way from home.
“She feels like she’s in the zone at the moment and there is no reason why she can’t go on to higher races again.”
With six wins and a second from just 11 starts, with earnings of $665,225, the well-related Surfin’ Bid looks an outstanding purchase with her trainers, Bruce Slade’s Kestrel Thoroughbreds and First Light Racing going to $120,000 at the 2023 Magic Millions Strawberry Hill Stud Unreserved Dispersal.
The Makybe bred Surfin’ Bird was originally secured from the draft of Milburn Creek (as agent) at the Magic Millions yearling sale for $280,000 by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing and Kestrel Thoroughbreds.
Surfin’ Bird is the best of two winners, from three runners out of the winning Big Brown mare Summer Surf, a half-sister to G1 Golden Slipper winner and exciting young sire Farnan as well as the dual Listed-winning, G1 Golden Rose fourth placed Sandbar – all out of the G3-winning Street Cry mare Tallow.
The win of Surfin’ Bird’s was the 13th stakes winner for Arrowfield Stud’s The Autumn Sun who stakes winners include five G1 individual winners.
The Autumn Sun is standing at a fee of $137,500 (inc. GST) this season.
