A giant-killer performance on Saturday night has forced the hand of Cranbourne trainer Scott Ewen to run much-loved pacer Bulletproof Boy in this Saturday night’s Sportsbet Victoria Cup.
The evergreen veteran stunned the harness racing world when he flashed home from three back on the pegs to defeat champion Queenslander Leap To Fame in the weekend’s Smoken Up Sprint at Melton, and the result encouraged Ewen to change plans and lodge a late nomination for the $250,000 Grand Circuit classic.
Harness Racing Victoria handicappers extended entries for the October 18 race until 12noon on Monday, and then settled on the final field of 12 and one emergency later that afternoon.
Bulletproof Boy will line up in his third Victoria Cup looking to better eighth and fifth placings in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
“I was just going to put him in the free-for-all or go to Adelaide – one or the other – but he deserves to run in it,” Ewen said.
“He pulled up so good, he recovered so good, he ate his feed Saturday and Sunday nights and licked his bowl clean. What more can you ask for?”
Leap To Fame headlines the Victoria Cup field as he looks to add the last of the eastern seaboard Grand Circuit features to his incredible CV, and while Swayzee won’t be back to defend the title he won last year, his trainer Jason Grimson will be represented by stablemates Hi Manameisjeff and Miki Pins. Fellow New South Wales raiders include Cya Art, Horn Player, Kingman and Ubetcha Tigerpie, while Eureka champion Bay of Biscay, eight-time Group 1 winner Catch A Wave, Inter Dominion heat victor Dangerous and Nathan Cahir’s Plains In Heaven make up the local runners in the field.
VICTORIA CUP FIELD: BAY OF BISCAY (Emma Stewart), BULLETPROOF BOY (Scott Ewen), CATCH A WAVE (Andy Gath), CYA ART (KerryAnn Morris), DANGEROUS (Shane Sanderson), HI MANAMEISJEFF (Jason Grimson), HORN PLAYER (Brad Hewitt), KINGMAN (Luke McCarthy), LEAP TO FAME (Grant Dixon), MIKI PINS (Jason Grimson), PLAINS IN HEAVEN (Nathan Cahir), UBETCHA TIGERPIE (Michael Stanley). EMERG: WAR DAN BUDDY (Emma Stewart)
The barrier draw for the Victoria Cup will be held from 10am Tuesday morning on Sky Racing, with Saturday night’s meeting at Melton broadcast on 7two from 6pm. Trots fans can also watch the action via 7plus Sport, TrotsVision and Sky Racing, or listen through radio networks SENTrack and RSN927.
