Bivouac and Nature Strip faced off in Saturday’s $1,500,000 Group 1 Darley Sprint Classic (1200m) with the title of Australia’s champion short-course sprinter down the straight on the line.
In the end it was no contest with Bivouac taking his career to new heights with as an arrogant as you like performance.
While Nature Strip took up his favoured, front-running style, Glen Boss waited until he saw white in their eyes before unleashing on Bivouac at the 200 metres and it was matter of how far.
With Boss standing high in the irons 50 metres out, Bivouac put three and a quarter-lengths on Nature Strip (Nicconi) with Libertini (I Am Invincible) a head back in third.
A 4yo son of Exceed And Excel, Bivouac looks the perfect type to target Royal Ascot however that did not enter the discussion with stable representative Sean Keogh after the race.
“That was sensational, Bossy was oozing confidence today,” Keogh said.
“He bumped into two weeks ago on cox Plate day after he sat on the colt in The Everest and he said if he goes to Flemington he won’t be beaten.
“It is a credit to the team to keep him in training. Before today he was a 7-time stakes-winner, a dual Group 1 winner at three, won over six furlongs and beat some of the best around at seven furlongs, horses like Yes, Yes Yes and to return as a four-year-old with a performance like that is just incredible.”
Previously the winner at the highest level of the VRC Newmarket Handicap and the ATC Golden Rose, Bivouac advances his record to seven four three from 19 starts with earnings of $5,567,860.
A homebred for Godolphin, Bivouac is a three-quarter brother to the 4-time Group 1 winner Guelph, out of the More Than Ready (USA) mare Dazzler who won her first two starts at Geelong and Flemington in an 11-start career.
Dazzler is a half-sister to the Group II ATC Todman Stakes winner Ghibellines out of Elusive Quality's Group 1 AJC Sires' Produce Stakes winner Camarilla who had just four foals before her tragic death in October 2012.
Dazzler's first foal Coruscate, a full brother to Bivouac, placed in the Group II ATC Skyline Stakes and Group III ATC Pago Pago Stakes at two before recently opening his stakes account in the Listed MRC Testa Rossa Stakes and Listed MRC Village Stakes
Dazzler has a 2yo filly by Medaglia D'Oro (USA) named Glittery and a yearling colt by Lonhro.
She foaled a sister to Bivouac and Coruscate on September 19.
Darley Stud’s flagship stallion Exceed And Excel will have plenty of competition from his sons next year with Bivouac set to join the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Microphone.
