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When
Catbird won the Golden Slipper, he became the first horse to win the Black
Opal-Golden Slipper double. Trained in Canberra (Queanbeyan) by local,
and very popular, trainer Frank Cleary, Catbird's win took away a considerable
amount of pain for the colt's trainer and owner, Ken Jones, who had raced
the former brilliant juvenile Clan O'Sullivan, who was run down and defeated
in the 1992 Slipper by Burst. Although the race was marred somewhat by
the controversial late scratching of the favourite, another Danehill colt,
Redoute's Choice, Catbird was a deserved winner, who did everything right
to win by a neck, and his form leading into the race had been faultless.
It was the 4th time in 6 years that Danehill has sired the winner of the
Golden Slipper. Coming from Canberra myself, Catbird's win was a
big thrill for me, and it made me proud to have been a born and bred Canberran,
and to be there photographing the regions first winner of Australia's second
richest race.
Catbird was
retired to Yarraman Park Stud in early 2000 after failing to recapture
his 2yo form. As a Golden Slipper winner by the great sire of sires
Danehill, he will undoutedly be an attractive option for breeders.
Being from the Marscay mare Fitting, Catbird is bred along the same Danehill-Star
Kingdom cross as the emerging young sire Danzero, also a Danehill Golden
Slipper winner and already the sire of the Triple Crown winner Fairway.
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