After winning the first two races of his career, Birdman went on a 12-race losing streak, showing that the son of Free Eagle may not have had what it takes to compete at the top level.

But since then, the import has won three out of his last seven starts, including both the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600), and most recently, the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m).

Hailed by top-end pundit Mark Hunter as the in-form horse leading into the $500,000 Peter Young on Saturday, the Chris Waller-trained gelding proved exactly that, defeating Group 1 stars like Buckaroo and Light Infantry Man.

Reflecting on the race, SENTrack’s David Taggart praised the five-year-old’s jockey Ben Melham and believes Birdman could be heading to larger races, based off that Peter Young Stakes win.

“I tell you what, what a run it was. Benny Melham, he put Birdman in the box seat, was patient enough too and he had a heap of horse underneath him,” Taggart told SENTrack.

“Birdman, well, he's put two together now. Is he on the path to bigger races?

“I think so. He probably goes to Sydney now.

“All credit there to Benny Melham, what a good little ride.”

Racing analyst’s Nick Noonan and Ben Caluzzi also agreed with Taggart’s take on RSN’s Correct Weight, with Noonan even stating Birdman is “airborne” this preparation.

Caluzzi: “It would be hard to say he is not one of the horses to beat in the Australian Cup now.”

Noonan: “Yeah, it looks that way, doesn’t it? The way the field is shaping up there… You’d think he’s going to be a live chance.

“He’s just absolutely airborne this campaign.”

When looking at potential Group 1 races which the gelding is in the market for, Birdman is the equal favourite, at $4 with Sportsbet, for the Australian Cup (2000m) on March 28 at Flemington, $6 to win the Tancred Stakes (2400m) on March 28 at Rosehill, and $8 to take out the Sydney Cup (3200m) on April 11 at Randwick.

Could Birdman have a Group 1 next to his name by the time the Autumn Racing Carnival is over?

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