Progressive mare Surfin’ Bird continued her meteoric rise through the spring ranks with a tough and deserved victory in Saturday’s 2026 Crystal Mile results at Flemington, thrusting herself into serious contention for next weekend’s Group 1 $1 million Empire Rose Stakes (1600m).

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained five-year-old was sent out the $3 favourite and justified the market confidence, digging deep under Jordan Childs to hold off quality rivals Buckaroo and Another Wil in a performance that showcased her continued development at Group level.

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 ?????

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The victory immediately caught the attention of punters, with bookmakers slashing her Empire Rose Stakes 2026 odds from $26 into $5 with Ladbrokes, placing her among the leading chances for next Saturday’s Group 1 feature at the same Flemington mile.

Surfin’ Bird Delivers Another Career-Best Performance

Having already impressed with a black-type breakthrough in the Group 3 Ladies’ Day Vase at Caulfield earlier this preparation, Surfin’ Bird took another significant step forward against open company in the Crystal Mile equivalent on Cox Plate Day.

Settling in her customary forward position, the daughter of The Autumn Sun travelled sweetly throughout before finding strongly under pressure in the closing stages to score by half a length.

2026 Kia Ora Stud Mile Results

Winning Time: 1:36.45
Margin: ½ Length x 1 Length

The win was her seventh victory from just 12 career starts and pushed her prizemoney earnings towards the $900,000 mark.

Waterhouse-Bott Mare Continues to Mature

Co-trainer Adrian Bott was full of praise for the mare’s toughness, particularly given the quality of opposition she faced at weight-for-age level.

“She’s an incredibly tough mare now,” he told Racing Victoria.

“She’s come a long way even this preparation so we’re proud of her and what she’s been able to do getting to this level at weight-for-age against these open class horses.”

Surfin’ Bird was forced to dig deep late as challengers loomed on either side.

“They were breathing down her neck late and she’s tough and kept finding,” he added.

The stable believes her transformation over the past 12 months has been remarkable.

“She got a bit warm today and this carnival 12 months ago she was starting odds-on favourite in Group 3 mares’ grade and wasn’t able to deliver on the day,” Bott said.

“In 12 months’ time she’s been able to strengthen, mature, physically and mentally she has put together a big performance on the big days.”

Empire Rose Stakes the Likely Target

The victory appears to have perfectly set Surfin’ Bird up for a return to Flemington next Saturday in the 2026 Empire Rose Stakes on Derby Day, a race the stable has had in mind throughout the campaign.

Bott indicated connections are strongly leaning towards backing her up.

“Very,” he confirmed.

“That was the race we really wanted to target for the preparation so she’s set for her grand final.”

While alternative options remain available, the Group 1 feature is the obvious attraction.

“There are a couple of other ways and options that we could look at but the Group 1 has to be the biggest attraction,” he admitted.

Toughness to Aid Seven-Day Backup

One of the key factors behind the stable’s confidence about the quick turnaround is the mare’s constitution and fitness.

“How tough and tenacious she is,” he explained.

“She’s obviously very fit and forward at this stage of the preparation and doesn’t need to do much more.”

Bott expects a quiet week before she returns to Flemington.

“She’ll have a nice, easy week and kick up her heels and I’m sure she’ll be ready to rock-and-roll,” he said.

Childs: Mare is “In the Zone”

Winning jockey Jordan Childs was equally enthusiastic after the victory, declaring the mare is currently producing the best form of her career.

“She’s in the zone, this girl, at the moment,” he said.

“Credit to Gai and Adrian and the team here in Melbourne. They do a great job with these horses.”

Childs noted there were strong similarities between Saturday’s performance and her previous Caulfield success.

“It was pretty much copy and paste of what happened at Caulfield,” he said.

“She just jumps well, puts herself in a nice forward spot.

“I was cantering a long way from home and it was just about pressing the button at the right time.”

The rider was particularly impressed with the way she saw out the mile.

“She really extended and relished the mile,” he said.

Bright Future Ahead

Childs believes Surfin’ Bird still has plenty of improvement left despite her already impressive record.

“She’s definitely a horse with a bright future,” the jockey said.

“She’s heading the right way and does everything right.

“She’s just really locked in at the moment.”

The mare’s post-race demeanour suggested she had taken very little out of the run.

“You can see her right now, she’s got her ears pricked, looking around so she’s a very happy horse,” he said.

Empire Rose Market Reacts

Given the quality of Saturday’s performance, it was little surprise to see bookmakers react quickly.

After opening at outsider odds of $26 for the 2026 Empire Rose Stakes, Surfin’ Bird has been crunched into $5, making her one of the major players for next Saturday’s Group 1 contest.

With proven Flemington mile form, tactical speed, upside still to come and a stable renowned for producing mares on the biggest stages, Surfin’ Bird looms as one of the headline acts of Derby Day.

And if her latest Flemington victory is any guide, the rising star mare may not be done yet. The 2026 Empire Rose Stakes could be the race where Surfin’ Bird takes her career to an entirely new level.

Full Crystal Mile 2026 Results