Bomber Bill Prepares For Swansong Season
Story By Chris Scholtz
Monday, 14 August 2006:  | | Bomber Bill |
Trainer Maureen Harry has confirmed that Bomber Bill will be retired later this season.
Harry has been giving the 11-year-old beach work and swimming at Warrnambool to prepare him for his return in the $150,000 McEwen Stakes, a Group 3 sprint over 1000m on one of his favourite tracks.
Harry's aim before retirement catches up with Bomber Bill is to see him reach $2 million in prizemoney, the gelding currently having raced 91 times for 23 wins and 11 placings for a return of $1,883,455.
Bomber Bill has won at least one race every season since he started racing as a two-year-old in the 1997-98 season.
Harry said the fact that Bomber Bill has put on weight is an indication of his well being in his old age.
"He feels great within himself, he's still bucking around and I'm not telling him he's getting older,' she told the Warrnambool Standard..
"He looks like he might need a run or two to get back to peak fitness.
"He's put on a bit of weight and with age it's always harder to take off.
"We've also got to the stage where we really need to look after his feet.
"That's always a concern, so I have to be a bit fussy where we work him.'
Harry took over Bomber Bill's training last year and did a great job to win the Rubiton Stakes and the Heffernan Stakes with the grand sprinter last season.
"We'll follow a similar program to last year with the Heffernan and Rubiton Stakes probably on the agenda.'
"He did a great job last year but there looks like being a good crop of young sprinters coming through so the competition looks pretty tough.
"But he's come up against good horses before and beat them.'
|
