‘Champagne’ for Super Bird again

AFTER just failing to catch General JN last time out, Super Bird got up in the last couple strides to gain his revenge when horse racing resumed after a 44-day break yesterday at Santa Rosa Park, Arima.

The Hugh Leong Poi-bred and owned five-year-old prevailed by a head in the feature event of the Easter Monday holiday card to become only the third horse to win back-to-back editions of the Champagne Stakes.

Andrew Poon, who had not been aboard Super Bird since he won this Grade III turf contest last year by a little less than a length, was back in the saddle yesterday and he produced another classic ride.

General JN relieved the son of Charismatic Cat of the lead at the far turn, but the one-kilo claimer had left something in the tank and his mount just got up to prevail on the rail after the 7/2 joint third favourites had battled neck-and-neck for the entire homestretch of the 1,600-metre contest.

Super Bird had just failed to get up in the 1,100-metre Sian’s Gold Sprint at the end of January, after the two had treated fans to a similar stretch duel on the inner track.

The full brother of 2021 Stewards Cup and Gold Cup winner Affirmative, is handled by John O’Brien, who also saddled the other two consecutive winners of the Champagne Stakes—Raging Halo (2009 & 10) and Thisonesforron (2015 and 2016).

The multiple champion trainer has dominated this event to such an extent recently, that he has won the last three editions and seven of the last eight, after being triumphant in five of the first 17.

Soca Harmony, also from the O’Brien stable, was sent off as the 6/5 favourite, but last year’s Midsummer Classic and Trinidad Derby Stakes heroine could only finish four lengths behind the winner in fourth in her turf debut.

Three lengths ahead was Supremacy, the second longest shot on the board (25/1) who was closing rapidly on the top two at the end of the penultimate event of the seven-race card.

Cool Cat, carrying six kilos overweight, was a respectable fifth and last year’s runner-up was followed home by Crown Prince and Just Exhale, the first and second placed finishers, respectively, in the Gold Cup at the end of last year.

And Crown Prince’s brother Stroke Of Luck, who won the Derby in 2021, ended up trailing the nine-horse field in his third straight disappointing performance.

O’Brien was also in the spotlight in the race before, when the Ladies Stables’ In The Headlines coasted home by three lengths in the Chief Commander Stakes with apprentice Tristan Phillips in the irons.

Firecracker was expected to be a big threat to the 4/5 favourite in the 1,600-metre turf contest, but she threw her rider just before the start and was withdrawn.

Last year’s St James/St Ann’s Stakes winner was also scratched when In The Headlines won the Royal Colours Classic on debut at the end of February.

Miss Sunak, who finished off the tins in a maiden event on debut during that card, ended up a gutsy second at odds of 30/1 in yesterday’s Grade III affair.

The fourth round of the Arima Race Club’s 2023 Season is scheduled for Saturday April 29.