Bulletproof and bound for Brisbane ID25

Likeable Cranbourne harness racing horseman Scott Ewen has been on a rollercoaster ride of late, but he’s upbeat about what is around the corner in the next few months.

“We have definitely decided to take a team to Queensland with our old warhorse ‘Bullet’ (Bulletproof Boy) to target the Inter Dominion series at Albion Park in July,” Ewen said.

“We’ve never raced up there before so we are pretty excited – we were looking at it two years ago, but he probably wasn’t going as good back then as he is now.”

Nominations for this year’s Queensland Inter Dominion pacing and trotting championships close on April 30.

Ten-year-old Bulletproof Boy (Art Official) has established himself as a “People’s Champion”, in a remarkable career 47 wins and 47 placings from 210 starts for stakemoney of more than $745,000.

“I still can’t believe he’s doing it at his age because he started racing as an early two-year-old,” Ewen said.

“But he’s a high adrenaline horse and he just loves to run. He’s been a godsend for Kylie and me and it’s nice that he’s now getting the recognition that perhaps he was entitled to a few years ago,” Ewen said.

‘Bullet’ is back in work after enjoying a week in the paddock and Ewen has pencilled in a return to the racetrack in three or four weeks. He’s planning a few runs leading up to the Inter Dominion series qualifying heats on July 5 and 12 before the big grand final on July 19.

But it hasn’t all been upside for Ewen, who is based at the Cranbourne Harness Training Centre.

He was lucky to escape serious injury a little over two weeks ago when a square-gaiter he was working made a charge at the mobile barrier and bolted “out of control”.

“I’m not exaggerating when I say he was trotting a 26-second quarter,” Ewen said.

“He was flying, but then he broke up and started kicking the stirrups which just made him pull harder, of course. We ended up hitting the outside fence and fortunately we ended up on the deck – there’s a huge drop on the other side and we would have been in big trouble if we’d gone over,” he said.

“I come out of it with badly bruised ribs, while the horse was okay with a bit of skin off here and there.”

But Lady Luck shone brightly on the stable at the latest Cranbourne fixture (April 18).   The couple had a winning double with Tara Victory (Vincent) and Bulletproof Kid (Art Major), with Michael Bellman and Ewa Justice respectively standing in on driving duties for the sidelined Ewen.

And if that wasn’t enough, they made it three winners in 24 hours when Ubetta Knot (Bettors Delight) (Michael Bellman) got the money at 12/1 in Lionheart Security Pace the next night at Melton.

“It was a pretty exciting 24 hours – despite our old favorite Bulletproof Boy not being one of the winners,” Ewen laughed.

‘Bullet’ is likely to be accompanied on his northern trip by both Bulletproof Kid and Ubetta Knot.

“He will need travelling companions and those two should be suited up there. Ubetta Knot is turning into a nice little horse and they run mares’ races that carry good stakemoney,” Ewen said.

“Then a month after we get back home, Kylie and I are off on another cruise for a few weeks. Bullet paid for it last year – and I reckon he’s got it covered already this year.”

Hoofnote: The Ewen double at the Cranbourne meeting was all the sweeter for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday appeal. The club agreed to contribute $1000 to the appeal for each locally trained winner…then upped its contribution by $3000 to bring the final donation to $5000.  Well done Cranbourne HRC!

From Terry Gange for Harnesslink