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24.
Big Day For Bite The Bullet
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03/07/2002 |
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On the eve of a new breeding season Baramul Stud’s Bite The Bullet gave a timely reminder of just what an underrated stallion he is. The three-year-old gelding Bulletproof Billy became Bite The Bullet’s twelfth stakes winner with a fast finishing win in the Listed $70,000 Winter Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday. Earlier in the day another three-year old son of Bite The Bullet, Powder Burn, justified his trip from Wyong to Melbourne when nosing out the favourite Kelcheck (Keltrice) in the Curran Chemicals H. (1410m) at Flemington.
BITE THE BULLET
The Pat Farrell-trained Bullet Proof Billy won his sixth race from 12 starts, increasing his earnings to over $103,000. Len Beasley elected to east Bulletproof Billy back to the rear of the field from his wide barrier before producing a powerful finish to overhaul Oakfield Duke (Switch In Time) by a length with Halls Of Assembly (Comet Shine) a long neck away third.
Farrell is undecided on Bulletproof Billy’s immediate future. "It's hard to turn them out in the middle of winter and particularly when they're going well," Farrell said. "He goes pretty well this little horse. "I just want to see how he pulls up before deciding what to do with him. "He definitely won't start in the Ramornie, I'll rely on Stormcat Academy there. "This horse is more than paying his way and I don't want to over-race him."
An $8,000 purchase by Farrell at the 2000 Inglis Classic sale Bulletproof Billy was bred by the Julie Harris run Holbrook Thoroughbreds at Scone. Bulletproof Billy is the thirteenth foal of the 21-year old Baguette mare Diamond Kisses a half sister to stakes-placed winners Catch Candy, Babalina and Maraschino, Diamond Kisses has produced 7 winners from her 9 to race with the city winners Quignon (Snippets), Empire Day (Coronation Day) and Maranti (Acecay) being the best before the emergence of Bulletproof Billy.
Since being imported to stand at Kingmaker Farm in 1992 Bite The Bullet has sired 129 winners from 189 starters that have earned over $6 million in Australia.
He boats a spectacular pedigree that has proved a resounding success in this country. His sire Spectacular Bid although disappointing at stud was arguably one the greatest racehorses to ever race in America. He won 26 races including 13 Grade Ones, was voted champion at two, three and four and Horse Of The Year at three.
The female side of Bite The Bullet’s pedigree is one of the most influential in the American stud Book.
A stakes winner of 5 races including the Grade 2 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga, Bite The Bullet is a three-quarter brother to Australian stud success Spectacular Spy. His dam Lassie Dear (Alydar) is a stakes placed half sister to Al Mufti (Roberto) a champion sire in South Africa, Deerhound (Danzig) sire of stakes winners in the US including Champion 2yo filly Countess Diana, Wolfhound (Nureyev) champion European sprinter, Foxhound (Danzig) who stood his one Australian stud season at Coolmore in 2000 and Weekend Surprise (Secretariat) a multiple graded stakes winner and placed in five Group One races for earnings of $402,892.
Weekend Surprise even managed to upstage her champion dam in the broodmare barn. She produced Summer Squall (Storm Bird), who won 13 of his 20 career starts for $1,844,282 including the Hopeful Stakes (G1) as a 2yo and the Preakness Stakes (G1) at three; A.P. Indy (Seattle Slew) earned Horse Of The Year honours with victories in the Belmont Stakes (G1) Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), Santa Anita Derby (G1) and Hopeful Stakes (G1); the ill-fated stakes placed Danzig colt Honor Grades who shuttled to NZ for 3 seasons; Weekend in Seattle (Seattle Slew), a Grade 1-placed winner of $147,245 and dam of stakes winner Welcome Surprise (Seeking the Gold). In 1991 Weekend Surprise foaled Summer Squalls brother Saithor, a $1.1 million yearling, who began his stud career at Roselands (now Vinery) Stud in 1998.
By: Mark Smith
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