A massive congratulations to Michael Portelli, who has now claimed his third Federation win of the 2025 season, cementing his place as one of Victoria’s most elite pigeon fanciers. Michael’s winning bird in the 3rd Morgan National – 640km was clocked with a velocity of 1848.12 m/min, topping the Western Pigeon Federation in a race that saw over 2184 birds liberated across 240 flyers.

His winning pigeon, VHA-24-2692, a 2024 Herman Ceusters from the Desira x Raffy line, showed elite pedigree and performance. The bird’s lineage traces back to a Gabby cross Houban, with the Gabby being a sister to Michael’s number one stock hen – a true foundation bird.

Michael’s approach this year has been different. He’s reduced road training and focused on loft-based conditioning, using his pigeon whisperer intuition to fine-tune grain intake and exercise. His uncanny wisdom has paid off, with three Federation wins already in 2025. Here is Michael proudly holding his winner:

 

Close Battles at the Top

Coming a mere 22 seconds behind was John Saggers, our hardworking President and Transport Committee Head. His cock bird, originally bred for the Breeders Plate, showed superb form proving John’s decision to re-enter it was spot on. The bird, bred by Frank De Pasquale of Werribee, demonstrated both form and heart.

Just 28 seconds behind Saggers was our Treasurer and author, Christopher Cachia (Cachia Holwell & Cini Loft). His grizzle hen, half a circle in the air behind, descended from Steve Cini’s elite 1980s imports — a Van Loon × Jansen cross.

This narrow spread under a minute between the top three  showcases the exceptional standard of Western racing this year.

 

📍 Race Details

• Liberation Point: Morgan
• Distance: 640 km
• Liberation Time: 8:30am AEDT
• Weather: NW winds at 10km/h at liberation, westerly winds 20–50km/h up to 750m – a fast race!
• Total Birds: 2184
• Total Flyers: 240
• WPF Flyers: 68
• WPF Birds Sent: 611
• Winning Velocity: 1848.12 m/min
• Winning Bird: VHA-24-2692
• Winning Flyer: Michael Portelli
• Race Sponsor: VICTORIAN NATIONAL – Morgan
• Entry Fee: $5.50
• Bonus Sponsor: Australian National Racing Pigeon Board – $200 awarded to each Federation winner 🎉

🥇 Top 20 Federation Placings – Ranked by Velocity

Rank	Flyer	Ring No.	Velocity (m/min)	Prize Money ($)	Commentary
1	Michael Portelli	VHA-24-2692	1848.12	794.30	Herman Ceusters, Desira/Raffy X Gabby /Houben
2	John Saggers	WPF-24-7421	1846.12	488.80	Cock bird, bred by Frank Dipasquale for the Breeders Plate
3	Cachia, Holwell & Cini	VRPU-24-4136	1845.66	336.05	Grizzle Hen – Van Loon x Jansen – 1980’s Imports still winning
4	Frank Briffa	WPF-24-4904	1842.14	274.95	Best Bird in the South West
5	D & G Vatzakis	WPF-24-1942	1838.53	244.40	Cock bird, only sent 6 birds – Best Bird in The North
6	Iannazzone & Warnecke	WPF-24-6020	1828.07	183.30	Nicks in form – learning how to race fast pigeons
7	Jerome Tinao	EC-24-2456	1822.01	152.75	Cock bird
8	Baba’s Loft (R. Ristevski)	WPFC-24-367	1821.27	152.75	Hen bird
9	Cachia, Holwell & Cini	VRPU-24-4118	1820.42	—	Second bird, confirms elite loft depth
10	Iannazzone & Warnecke	WPF-24-6022	1820.64	—	Strong second bird – great depth in the team
11	Huang & Zheng	WPF-24-7639	1812.51	122.20	Cock bird
12	Frank Briffa	WPF-24-4965	1808.68	—	Second bird, consistent form
13	Saggers Lofts (Mark)	WPF-24-129	1805.54	122.20	Hen bird
14	Saggers Lofts (Mark)	WPF-24-1273	1805.19	—	Strong second bird
15	Baba’s Loft	SFD-24-1322	1804.45	—	Second bird
16	Michael Portelli	VHA-24-2635	1803.73	—	Second bird, confirms elite form
17	C. Bonnici	WPF-23-9510	1803.60	91.65	Strong performance
18	R. Saggers	WPF-24-2023	1796.09	91.65	Strong flyer
19	Babat Loft	ECUP-24-2436	1794.42	—	Strong flyer
20	Trevor Webb	VPO-24-5852	1789.79	—	Solid result from the Melton section – In Form

📊 Flyers Who Clocked Two Birds in Top 20 – Ranked by Average Velocity

🐦 Bird Age & Gender Analysis – Top 30

• Yearlings (2024 rings): 21 birds
• Older birds (2023 or earlier): 9 birds
• Hens: 17
• Cocks: 13

Conclusion: It was a hen’s day, with younger hens showing exceptional performance.

💥 Special Mentions

• Michael Portelli – Three Federation wins in 2025. A season of dominance.
• Cachia, Holwell & Cini – Two birds in the top 10, and the highest average velocity across all flyers. Elite loft management and consistency.
• Iannazzone & Warnecke – Clocked two birds in the top 10 with an average velocity of 1824.36 m/min -Wow – Go Nick!
• Dez Vatzakis – 5th place with only 6 birds sent. Just 1 minute and 46 seconds behind the winner. Dez’s cock bird showed elite form. Imagine the result with 10 birds!
• Frank Briffa – From the southwest corner, clocked two birds in the top 20. Their consistency and breeding quality are shining through.
• Jerome Tinao – Continues to impress with two birds in the top 20, showing strong loft management.
• Baba’s Loft (R. Ristevski) – A top 10 finish with a hen bird, proving that form and feeding matter more than numbers.
• Saggers Lofts (Mark) – A strong finish with a hen bird, just outside the top 5.

No matter where you live, you could have finished in the top 10. These results show that elite loft management, smart feeding, and focused training are the real winning edge. Every flyer has a chance if they focus on the one-percenters.

🙏 Sponsor Appreciation

This race was proudly supported by the Australian National Racing Pigeon Board, who awarded a $250 bonus to each Federation winner. Well done to all the Federation champions across Victoria!

We encourage all members and supporters to show their appreciation by visiting WPF Sponsors and supporting those who support us.

📅 Next Week’s Race

Next week features the 800km Carrieton race on Saturday 18 October 2025. Flyers should prepare for:

• High bird numbers
• Strong competition
• Significant prize pools
• Federation prestige at its peak

🎯 Final Words

Congratulations to all winners and participants – keep training, keep striving, and we’ll see you at the next liberation! 🕊️🚀