Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk 5 June 2026
Well-related mare Free Bird will be tested over a middle distance for the first time at Ellerslie on Saturday, with her performance dictating her future plans.
A half-sister to Group One winner Stolen Dance, who Greene trained for the majority of her career, Free Bird has shown she has inherited some of her family’s ability, winning two of her 10 starts to date, but she has yet to be tested over further than a mile.
Greene said his mare has always given him the impression that she would be more potent over further ground, and he will give her that opportunity this weekend in the Golf Warehouse 2100.
The daughter of Tarzino heads into the race in good form, having won two starts back over a mile before finishing runner-up over the same distance at Ellerslie last start.
“She is doing really well,” Greene said. “She has kept improving with every run this prep and we are really excited to see her step up to a middle distance for the first time.”
Ellerslie was rated a Soft6 on Friday morning, which Greene said is ideal for his mare.
“She is a horse that really likes those in between tracks,” he said. “She seems to struggle when it’s too firm or too wet, so the Ellerslie track at this time of year is providing that nice surface that seems to suit her.”
While Greene said Free Bird isn’t in the same class as Stolen Dance, he believes she could have an exciting future if she thrives over ground like he thinks she will.
“We are going to find out a lot more after Saturday because she has always really looked like a staying prospect,” he said. “She is not Stolen Dance, but she could go on and be a Cups kind of horse for next season if she can stay a strong middle-distance trip.
“If she can show us she can do that on Saturday she might have an exciting spring campaign ahead.”
Greene heads into the weekend off a frustrating runner-up result at Te Aroha on Thursday where Timetoplaythegame was pipped at the post by a short head in the Great New Zealand Jumping Carnival 18th and 20th September 1150.
“He just missed, it was a brave run in testing conditions,” Greene said. “We will just find a similar type of race in a few weeks for him.”
Greene said the Proisir gelding and stablemate Elle McFab will be his stable flagbearers over winter.
“We have got him and Elle McFab as our mudlark horses and they are enjoying the weather this week,” he said. “They will become more prominent in the next month or two when we get these Heavy tracks.”
Meanwhile, Greene said his Group One winner First Five is thriving a month into his preparation, with the Te Rapa horseman setting his sights towards a home track feature early next season.
The Almanzor gelding was a standout this season, winning his last three races, including the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m), Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m), and Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m).
“He has been back in work for a month now and he looks great,” Greene said. “You would think it would be impossible for him to get stronger again, but he looks bigger and stronger, and he has a very exciting season ahead for him, I am sure.
“We are aiming towards kicking off in the Foxbridge Plate (Gr.2, 1200m) if the weather plays its part. He is definitely an on top of the ground horse, he doesn’t like it too wet at all.”
