Just days after the passing of her dam, Charlotte Littefield’s gutsy Shooting To Win mare She’s Bulletproof captured the $240,000 Group 3 MRC Northwood Plume Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield, her second black type victory.
Disappointing when resuming in the Group 3 MRC Heath 1100 (1100m) when well beaten, Littlefield sent She’s Bulletproof back to the jumpouts where she took out her 1000m heat, giving punters a clear indication that all was back on track and hence she started the second favourite behind Ameena (Tassort).
From barrier nine, jockey Ben Allen took the mare forward where she settled comfortable in the lead with the well-fancied Gumdrops (Written Tycoon) and Ameena both racing in the first five.
Kicking up the tempo leading into the home straight, Allen still had the lead aboard She’s Bulletproof with Gumdrops sitting on her back looking the main danger.
With 200m to run, it was clear that Gumdrops would run second, while the Clinton McDonald trained Vestas (Toronado) worked home really well down the outside to finish third in what was a great effort.
With just a half-length margin separating the first three across the line, the trio should all be followed into their next runs.
It was an emotional win all round for the connections.
“I don't think I've ever cried before in a post-race, and I think today is the day,” said Littlefield.
“But, oh my god, that's what we hoped she would do today. And then obviously everyone's talking about it, but it wasn't quite the expectation that we had on us that we did first up. For her to do that, that was amazing. I can't put it into words.
“We lost her mum last Sunday, she'd just foaled down a beautiful Cylinder colt, and our horses are our everything.”
“Julian, who bred She’s Bulletproof, he raced the mare, and it's a big operation just the two of us. I'm so proud of everyone. Amanda, her track rider, all our team at home, we've got the most phenomenal team.
“It's small but it's mighty, and Jules put so much effort into her. You know, we've had so many niggles and issues, and there's been so many people that have played a part in getting this horse 110%, and she knew she was right, I’m rapt.”
After her first up run, Littlefield had to overcome a few issues.
“Our team is small but mighty, and I can't thank everyone that's had a part to play in getting her here today. It hasn't been easy, it's been a rocky road.
“She had a few niggles coming out of that first up run.
“She had feet issues. She had muscle problems. She was probably a little bit too heavy still at that point. She hadn't been trialling well.
“We went straight back to ground level, worked her way back up again, got everything sorted. She’s just gone and done that today. She did what we knew she had there and hoped for. It makes me a bit emotional.”
While Allen didn’t really have a plan, from the tricky gate he didn’t want to rush anything.
“We didn't really go out with a game plan drawing that tricky gate with a race with no speed,” said Allen.
“Just overbooked it, kind of just went where the horse wanted to go. We began well, probably if I'd have given her a squeeze earlier it might have gone across but I just wanted to get her into a rhythm and take my time.
“It probably looked like we had to do a bit of work, but she was just doing it that easy. It was a good win.”
“The way I rode her, it's probably not the right way to ride her, but from the gate I just need to ride like the best horse.
“I just wanted to take any luck away and go back if there's no speed. So look, she's probably better than what you've seen today with a better barrier, ridden correctly, who doesn't say she can't get a group one.”
Taking her record to five wins and seven placed efforts from 15 starts, the Group 3 victory of She’s Bulletproof took her career earnings to $703,225.
Bred by Julian Hay, She's Bulletproof is the fifth winner, and first stakes winner from five to race out of the Shamardal mare Offshore Sham, herself a half-sister to the stakes placed Liberty Rock (Fastnet Rock) from the extended family of Group 1 winner Hucklebuck (Elvstroem).
Since foaling She’s Bulletproof, Offshore Sham has not had any lucky in the breeding barn with a host of slipped, missed and born deceased results, and unfortunately the mare passed away recently, having foaled a colt by Darley’s Cylinder (Exceed And Excel) on October 4.
In a fitting result for her sire Shooting To Win (Northern Meteor) who won the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on this day back in 2014, She’s Bulletproof is one of 27 stakes performers for her sire who is standing a fee of $6,600 (inc. GST) this spring at Western Australia’s Yarradale Stud.
