Racing: This bird sure can fly

Rider Mark Du Plessis summed up it up neatly for the beaten Railway Handicap hopefuls behind Danbird at Ellerslie yesterday.

"That is a pretty good horse," said Du Plessis after watching Danbird achieve the seemingly impossible to win the traditional Railway lead-up, the Newmarket Handicap.

"They just don't normally win at this level carrying 57kg and jumping from the 14 gate."

Even allowing for the improvement Du Plessis is predicting from runner-up Devoted, its hard to see anything beating Danbird next weekend, the Aussie raiders included.

The four-year-old son of Danehill drops to 53.5kg and trainer Chris McNab is tipping him to go a lot quicker than the 1:9.59 he clocked on yesterday's easy surface.

"If he was ever going to get beaten, I thought he'd get beaten today," said McNab.

"I really did think he'd need the run. He takes a lot of work to keep fit and this will clean him up nicely.

"He's got to be a huge chance in the Railway now. He has to be the best sprinter in New Zealand."

Rider Leith Innes asked Danbird to work early from his wide gate but never had any fears he'd be caught in the straight.

"I had to go quite hard early but they all had their chance to beat him."

Although never looking a threat to Danbird, third placed Dezigna looked at least a place chance in the Railway on his run yesterday.

The Volksraad gelding was always too far back in the running, but ran home strongly in the straight to be within a length of the winner at the line.

The win saw Danbird shorten into $6 second favouritism for the Railway but punters are left wondering what to make of the market.

While Danbird looks clearly the best of the Kiwis in the race it is almost impossible to line up his form against hotshot Aussie sprinter Not A Single Doubt.

The latter has been heavily punted on both sides of the Tasman in the last week but has raced only once this season.

He was still a $4 chance last night and his Melbourne-based trainer Tony Vasil is confident he will not let his supporters down.

Not A Single Doubt and stablemate Bondy, who is in the Auckland Cup, were booked to fly into Auckland yesterday.

The latest market for the Railway is.-

Railway Handicap, $200,000, 1200m: $4 Not A Single Doubt; $6 Danbird; $8 Vaalu; $9 Gee I Jane; $10 Recurring; $13 Clean Sweep, Miss Potential; $15 Devoted, Gwen's Rules, Lamond; $16 Clifton Prince; $18 Sedecrem; $20 Blue Tsunami; $22 Pomp And Glory, Scaredee Cat; $25 Century Kid, Dezigna; $28 Sunlaw; $30 Sarah Vee, Irish Belle; $60 Double Ar Be, Justee, Tenjuberrymud, Bois; $80 Attempt; $100 Danart, Delargo; $150 Rushanwin.