Black Caviar Lightning winner Skybird is the new player on the scene for next month’s The Everest after she was confirmed to race in the Inglis slot for the $20 million race.
Inglis released the news on Thursday afternoon, describing Skybird as ‘an exceptional talent’ ahead of her attempt on Friday night’s Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at The Valley.
“Skybird catapulted to the forefront of our consideration with her win in the Lightning, which was nothing short of awesome,” Inglis Bloodstock chief executive Sebastian Hutch said.
“Mitch Freedman is a young trainer that the market has a lot of respect for and he has been very patient in his development of this filly.
“She is unexposed, progressive and shaping as a candidate to produce a career best at Randwick on Everest day.”
Skybird was a $110,000 purchase out of the Inglis Classic Yearling sale and Freedman said her development as a racehorse to reach the top level of racing is a credit to his team at his Ballarat stables.
“We all go to the yearling sales with a dream of finding a horse like her,” he said. “To purchase a horse like Skybird, bring her through our system and to now to be a part of the most elite sprinting race in our country, if not the world, truly is an honour,” he said.
“She has been part of the stable since she was a yearling and her success to date is truly a credit to the team around me who help to prepare her.
“She is an exceptional talent and it’s very exciting to take up the Inglis slot, given she was an Inglis purchase, and it really is a dream come true for all of the team at Mitch Freedman Racing.”
Skybird is the ninth confirmed runner in the world’s richest turf race and the sixth Inglis graduate to earn a slot alongside Overpass, Joliestar, Lady Shenandoah, Private Harry and Angel Capital.
Skybird is one of 109 individual G1-winning Inglis graduates since 2018 and will be looking to become the third-consecutive Inglis graduate to win The Everest, as well as giving Inglis it’s seventh graduate win in the ninth running of the world-famous race.
- Racing.com Newsdesk
