THE fact that Skybird should become a Group 1 winner was not a given, even though she comes from a female family that has proven to be a goldmine in recent years for producing top-class runners.

However, she is the initial Group 1 winner for her sire Exosphere (Lonhro) who has completed his first season at Oaklands Stud in Queensland. His fee has tumbled from an opening A$27,700 to about a quarter of that amount. Skybird is one of 11 stakes winners he has sired, and she has refocused attention on a horse who was a giant – literally – when he was racing.