Veteran accustomed to bad draws and long odds

BAD draws and betting markets mean nothing to Bulletproof Boy.

Accustomed to difficult starting positions and being among the outsiders, Bulletproof Boy has also adapted to upstaging his more fancied rivals.

For example, barrier nine was no concern for the Scott Ewen-trained gelding on January 10 when he scored at $11 in the Bendigo Cup.

The beaten brigade included Victoria and New Zealand Cup hero Kingman, which was a $2 favourite.

Bulletproof Boy came from 10 as a $10 chance to win the 2025 Bendigo Cup.

Last October Bulletproof Boy won the Smoken Up Sprint as a $71 outsider, beating arguably the greatest pacer produced on this side of the equator, Leap To Fame.

To register his latest success, Bulletproof Boy overcame barrier eight to capture the Newcastle Mile as a $10 shot, relegating the $1.35 favourite Rakero Rocket to second.

That victory earned the evergreen 11-year-old a berth in Saturday night’s Miracle Mile at Club Menangle.

And as you can guess, Bulletproof Boy has fared poorly in the draw – barrier 10 – and is listed as the $51 TAB Fixed Odds rank outsider ahead of the $1million event.

The son of Art Official slots into eight with the removal of the emergencies.

“Only he could draw 10 in a field of eight,” Ewen joked. “Good draws are never his thing!

“He can’t read either, so he doesn’t know what odds he is and therefore it doesn’t affect him.

“Coming from bad draws and causing upsets is almost his niche, and with a bit of luck, he truly can pull off a miracle mile by winning the Miracle Mile.”

With co-favourites – $2.60 – Captains Mistress and Leap To Fame drawn well in four and five, Ewen believes the first quarter will be “lightning”.

“There is a bit of speed in the race and it is fair to assume the first 400 metres will be run at a lightning speed,” Ewen said. “James (Herbertson, driver) will just let my bloke come out as he pleases and look for a place to slot in.

“If they do go hard, it gives him a chance to be brought into the race and use his closing sprint when it counts.”