Surfin’ Bird wins G2 Crystal Mile
Surfin' Bird (gold cap) gets the better of Astral Flame (spotted cap) and Group 1 winner, stablemate & eventual runner-up Buckaroo to claim her second Group win, in the Crystal Mile G2 on Cox Plate Day at Flemington. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
Seven of the last 20 black type victories on The Autumn Sun’s record have been at Group 1 level, courtesy of Autumn Glow & Autumn Boy.
But another six sons & daughters of The Autumn Sun have contributed to that list, including First Light Racing’s splendid 5YO mare Surfin’ Bird, winner of her last two starts in Group company, the Ladies Day Vase G2 at Caulfield, and now the $400,000 MVRC Crystal Mile 1600m G2 on Cox Plate day at Flemington.
Crystal Mile | Surfin’ Bird The bird won! Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott are on the board as Surfin’ Bird staves off Buckaroo in the Crystal Mile 🏄♀️🐤 📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app REPLAYS: https://t.co/HEhdpozFmy https://t.co/rolW3rR0Qi
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 24, 2026
Adrian Bott, who prepares Surfin’ Bird with Gai Waterhouse, said, “She’s an incredibly tough mare…and she’s come a long way, even just this preparation, so really proud of her, what she’s been able to do, getting to this level…against open class horses, they were breathing down her neck late and she was incredibly tough and kept finding.”
Bred by Makybe Racing & Breeding, Surfin’ Bird is out of Summer Surf (by Big Brown), a half-sister to Champion 2YO Farnan (by Not A Single Doubt) & Listed winner Sandbar (Snitzel). She was offered by Milburn Creek at Magic Millions 2023 and purchased for $280,000 by her trainers and Bruce Slade’s Kestrel Thoroughbreds.
Her earnings now exceed $900,000 and she is now on the second line of betting for her princpal goal this campaign, next Saturday’s $1 million Empire Rose S. G1, on the opening day of Cup Week at Flemington.
The Autumn Sun’s 7 stakes wins so far this season by Autumn Glow, Changing Colours, Surfin’ Bird & Matusalem put him on top of the Australian General Sires’ Premiership by that measure, alongside his past & present barn-mates Champion Sire Snitzel and Cox Plate sire Maurice.
