Keayang Zahara may already be a champion, Kingman looks every bit an emerging champion, but Bulletproof Boy is the people’s champion of Bendigo Cup night.
It is five years since the much-loved 11-year-old tackled the Bendigo Cup for the first time and he returns on Saturday as the defending champion.
As much as Kingman and Keayang Zahara are the star power of this Bendigo Cup night, the biggest cheer would come if Bulletproof Boy went back-to-back.
Sell him short at your own peril, even with a back row draw. It is less than three months since he upstaged one of the greatest pacers of all time, Leap To Fame, in a huge upset at Melton.
What a ride he’s taken trainer Scott Ewen, his wife Kylie, and their fellow owners on in the six years since the Ewens rode the Bulletproof Boy “express” from South Australia to make Victoria home.
“What a godsend he’s been,” Ewen said. “If we didn’t have him, I don’t think we’d have made the move to Victoria. There wasn’t much more he could do in SA, he deserved the chance to show it. He needed it.”
Bulletproof Boy was a star nine years ago as a two-year-old. He won 20 races while Ewen was in SA and has added another 30 wins since the move to Victoria. You can throw in another 30 seconds, 22 thirds and a thumping career bankroll of $807,566.
“He’s won about $700,000 of that since we moved,” Ewen said.
For all Bulletproof Boy’s success, which included wins in the 2021 and 2023 Smoken Up Sprint, it’s been the past 12 months which has gained him a cult following.
As a 10-year-old, the gelding raced 20 times in 2025 for six wins, four seconds, four thirds and earned $202,775.
Last year started with a splash when Bulletproof Boy won the Bendigo and Ballarat Cup double in January.
But the headline win came much later, with that success over Leap To Fame in the Smoken Up Sprint on October 11.
“For all that he’s done, it’s the win that really put him on the map,” Ewen said. “He deserved that and the respect it earned him. There’s been a few times he should’ve got a start in big races, but got overlooked. He won’t now.
“Beating him was the biggest thrill this old boy has given us. I nearly fell over in the (home straight) when he got out and ran-down the champ.”
In a beautiful contrast, Ewen credits young gun driver James Herbertson with playing a pivotal role in the renaissance of his veteran pacer.
“Herbie”, as they call him, has driven Bulletproof Boy 13 times for six wins, two seconds, two thirds and a fourth. He was aboard for last year’s Bendigo Cup and the conquering of Leap To Fame.
“He’s just a freak, Herbie. Look at his form since he’s started driving him regularly. It’s incredible how horses run for him,” Ewen said.
