Race Result:

1st: Skybird (M Freedman/B Mertens) - $7
2nd: Moesha (P Moody & K Coleman/J Kah) - $5.50
3rd: Pivot City (M Price & M Kent Jnr/B Shinn) - $7

Winning Time: 1:10.39  Last 600m: 35.09

Margins: 1-3/4L x 3/4L

The G2 Tobin Bronze Stakes goes to Skybird & @beau_mertens @Freedmanmitch has done a great job with her pic.twitter.com/cwSf0Ovl5j

— Racing.com (@Racing) April 27, 2024

Winning Trainer: Mitch Freedman

Nice win on the CV: "We came here about five years ago with Broadway And Forth and she was pretty stiff not to get a result.

"We had a specific plan to come to this race or the Sangster, but we thought the Sangster was heating up with the prize money on offer. We're still building our fitness in the three-year-old race and if she comes though it well enough, we might come back in two weeks time."

The Goodwood: "There is a chance on the way she won there. I know she has a bit of improvement to come, so she could come and compete in that race and get the weight advantage, being a filly."

Toying with what best distance is: "I think you'll find 1400 metres will be her best distance, or 1300 maybe, that 1200 to 1400 will be right for her. I'm not sure she runs a mile. If she runs a mile, she has to be covered up and exposed late, like she was at The Valley.

"She's only tasted defeat two times and the other day at Bendigo, things were against her and in the Thousand Guineas. She's a very good filly with plenty of upside."

Program: "Dan Clarken has looked after her over here and she's settled in really well. She's handled the travel in excellent fashion. She's still a little bit quirky, so a trip like this will do her the world of good and there is the Queensland Carnival on the horizon. We've looked at all that, so we'll keep mapping out our path and see how we go.

"We've got an ultimate goal of trying to get to the Golden Eagle, so that's on our radar and we'll see how we get there."

Winning Jockey: Beau Mertens

Been your filly: "She's outstanding. Mitch has done a terrific job to get her to perform like she has today. She missed a trial leading up to her first-up and we both thought it was a good enough run to come here and give it a shot.

"She gave me the feel last prep of a really nice filly."

Game plan: "We weren't going to bustle her. She's a filly that doesn't get too clean away out of the machine but as time goes on she's learning to get out and get herself amongst it which is going to make her life a lot easier.

"I was able to have a really nice spot with a bit of cover three deep following Blake (Shinn) and it took me right into the race. When I gave her squeeze at the top of the straight, I knew she would be there for me."

On Peter Mertens and big race success in Adelaide: "He had a lot of luck coming over here. He loved coming here and had a lot of success, so it's good to follow in his footsteps."