Boy blasts home to take Smoken Up Sprint

Scott Ewen and his connections made the decision this week to bypass the Pryde’s EasiFeed Victoria Cup with warhorse Bulletproof Boy, but he showed he would have been a worthy participant in the Grand Circuit classic with a brilliant sprint lane victory in the TAB Smoken Up Sprint.

The Cranbourne-based trainer-driver has credited the addition of a wind sucking pad – applied before an eye-catching third placing on September 11 – as key to the horse’s improved performance, and he produced another special display to win the $50,000 Group 2 feature in Bendigo this evening.

The late scratching of Max Delight – one of trainer David Aiken’s three runners in the race – altered many speed maps and Ewen capitalised. He allowed Torrid Saint to glide to the lead, tucking in behind from barrier one for a cosy run throughout much of the 1650m trip.

Coiled up and ready to pounce, Bulletproof Boy exploded along the sprint lane and ran past the leader, who battled on well for second ahead of the fast-finishing Tango Tara.

The win, in a slick mile rate of 1:52.2, was Ewen’s first in the Smoken Up Sprint and the biggest of Bulletproof Boy’s 104-start career, which has now earned connections over $240,000 in prizemoney.

And despite so many trips to the races, Ewen remains confident there’s plenty of life left in the six-year-old yet.

“At the end of the day, he’s a sit-sprinter. I think they’ve got a longer life than your bullock horses,” he said.

“I had a horse years ago that was half a cripple and he’s lasted three or four years. His name was Razz. Because he was a sit-sprinter, he just kept going. And I think Bulletproof Boy is the same. I think there’s another couple of seasons in him for sure.”

Ewen said the decision had been made to run the Art Official gelding in next weekend’s Garrards Popular Alm Free For All and not nominate for the Victoria Cup, which would likely prove a stiff assignment.

“I said to the owners that we could go around and get our $2000 or $3000, we’d probably get a run in it, or the second race is worth $30,000 and he’s a good chance of picking up $16,000 or $17,000,” he said.

“We can always come to those races down the track.”

By Tim O’Connor for HRV