BOMBER BILL

The old Warhouse Bomber Bill could take on the young bucks and donkey lick them

BOMBER Bill, racing's senior citizen, continued to strive to win when it is customary for racehorses approaching the age of twelve to be considered over the hill and due for the retirement village. However, the connections associated with Bomber Bill, a renowned Australian sprinter known for his geriatric resilience were exploring an alternative path. They believed that a change in the horse's stable environment could revitalise his athletic capabilities and extend his racing career. But it is a sobering thought that Bomber Bill had completed his first year of racing under the guidance of Robert Smerdon - an unbeaten season of seven starts as a two-year-old of 1997-98 - well before most of his recent competitiors were born. Bomber Bill achieved the feat of becoming the first (and only) 10-year old to win a Group race this century - the Gr.3 Rubiton Stakes in 2006. Quite remarkable, especially when you realise the horse had always suffered from bad feet and needed special shoes fitted to enable him to run. It was so problematic that they even used Bomber Bill's complicated hoof issues in the training of equine vets and farriers.

Maureen Harry took over Bomber Bill in 2008 and trained him up to win the Heffernan Stakes (1300m) at his second run for her. Bomber Bill was given two months off before he returned to Sandown to scramble home in a three-way finish in the Gr.3 Rubiton Stakes (1000m), his biggest success. That win, on January 7, 2006 gave Bomber Bill the distinction of having won at least one race in every calendar year of his career, 1997-2006 inclusive.

His record at 10 1/4 seasons of racing stood at 23 wins, seven seconds and four thirds from 93 starts - or one win every four times he has raced. He competed on ten different tracks in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, as well as one-off appearances in Hong Kong and Dubai for earnings of nearly $2 million. He definitely didn't set the world on fire in his last season racing, with a 5th his best result at Moonee Valley, but he was still out there fighting with the best of them in his last race at Caulfield, the JRA Stakes (1200m). His final curtain call was in early March 2007. But just figure this, Bomber raced against, Miss Andretti, Falkirk, Fields of Omagh, Super Elegant, Fastnet Rock and Thorn Park among many other talented sprinters for over a decade. Bomber Bill was just one of those extraordinary racehorses that continued to defy the laws of nature and probably enjoyed showing the young crew how's it done. I guess you're only as old as you feel.

RACE RECORD - 93: 23-7-4
EARNINGS - $1,892,330

1998 WATC Sires Produce Stakes
1998 Perth Stakes
1998 Karrakatta Plate
2002 Challenge Stakes
2002 Liverpool City Cup
2003 Goodwood Handicap
2003 Gilgai Stakes
2003 R N Irwin Stakes
2004 A J Moir Stakes
2005 Kevin Heffernan Stakes 
2006 G3 Rubiton Stakes