Birdsong swoops to dominant Breeders Challenge semi-final win

Birdsong (Huntsville – Dizygotic Lass) showed exactly why owner Ben Settree holds her in such high regard at Menangle last night, sweeping around the field to win the Nutrien Equine NSW Breeders Challenge 2yo Fillies Semi Final 1 by 9.2 metres.

Trained by KerryAnn Morris and driven by Robert Morris, the bay filly started the $1.25 favourite and recorded a career-best winning mile rate of 1:51.6 over 1609 metres on a fast track, collecting $15,000.

Birdsong came into the semi-final off a 12.2 metre heat win at Menangle on September 22, when she started at $1.05, and nothing on Saturday night suggested her form was tapering off.

Drawn barrier seven on the front row, with Lexy Belle scratched, Birdsong was restrained early as Shes A Delaney (Amanda Turnbull) showed good gate speed from the outside of the front line and crossed to the lead. Sabalenka settled on the leader’s back with Frith In Flight in third, and Morris found Birdsong a handy run one-out and one-back.

Shes A Delaney ran the opening quarter in 26.6 seconds before steadying the tempo, with a 29.4 second split taking the half to 56.0.

That was the cue for Morris. Birdsong was eased off the cover heading towards the final turn and swooped around the leaders through a 28.0 second third quarter, joining Shes A Delaney on the home bend.

Once balanced up in the straight, the result was never in doubt. Birdsong quickly put four and then five metres on her rivals and kept extending through a 27.6 second final quarter, with Morris able to take a look over his shoulder well before the line.

Frith In Flight (Bruce Harpley, $9.00) kept on gamely for second, 1.4 metres ahead of the pacemaker Shes A Delaney ($6.00). Sabalenka finished fourth and Your Shuffle fifth.

Birdsong’s win was one of two semi-finals for the fillies on the night. Later on the card, the Emma Stewart trained Comeandsee (Cattlewash – State Of Euphoria) also started favourite, at $1.07, and led throughout from barrier one for Bailey McDonough. She won Semi Final 2 by 5.5 metres from Gunnareason, with Showemhow a further 2.0 metres back in third, rating 1:54.1 after a 26.9 second final quarter. The Morris stable’s second runner, Ferocious Lover, finished fourth in that race.

Settree, who no longer trains or drives, knew Birdsong from the day she was foaled at Brooklyn Lodge Stud and later bought her for $17,000 as a weanling through the Nutrien Winter Woolies online sale. He was clearly taken with her speed when he spoke to HarnessLink earlier in the week.

“We find ourselves with a lovely pacer whose turn of speed is pretty exciting,” Ben Settree said.

Birdsong is confirmed for the NSW Breeders Challenge 2yo Fillies Final at Menangle on Saturday, October 31, with the series conditions listing $150,000 for each of the gender-specific 2yo Finals. Barriers are yet to be released.

Birdsong is a bay filly by the Somebeachsomewhere stallion Huntsville, a Meadowlands Pace winner in North America, out of the non-winning Art Major mare Dizygotic Lass. Her second dam is Kalypso, the dam of four-time Group 1 winner Caribbean Blaster as well as 18-race winners War Dan and Protikori.

Saturday’s win was her seventh from nine starts, a record that also includes a second placing and the Bathurst Gold Tiara Final in March, and took her stakes to $150,722. She was bred by Brooklyn Lodge Aberdeen Pty Ltd and is owned by Ben Settree.

Stay up to date with the latest in harness racing with HarnessLink, including featured coverage from the legendary John Tapp. You can read his story about Birdsong here.

 

From Harnesslink Media