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

BOMBER Bill, one of racing's finest senior citizen continued to strive to win when it was customary for racehorses approaching the age of twelve to be considered over the hill and due for a happy life in the paddock. 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.

Wally Daly and his brother George banked $1.9 million after buying Bomber Bill for $31,000 through Goodwood Bloodstock at the 1997 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. He was initially trained in Perth by Hec McLaren and remained unbeaten in 7 starts as a 2yo topped by the last time it was run as a Group 1 event. Transferred to trainers John Sadler and then Russell Cameron in Melbourne, he ended up competing on 10 different tracks from Perth to Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane as well as one-off appearances in the Gr.1 Hong Kong Sprint and Gr.3 Golden Shaheen in Dubai.

He's had a truly remarkable race record, raced consistently for nine years and don't forget he won his first seven races as a two-year-old in Perth and so impressive was he that an offer from the US of $600,000 was knocked back. BOMBER BILL’S sire AIR DE FRANCE (USA) was a son of the legendary SEATTLE SLEW (Bold Reasoning) and his dam LADY SPECIAL (Alzao) a daughter of the aptly-named SPECIAL (Habituate) who was a three-time Group 1 winner down the straight-six at Flemington.

But it is a sobering thought that Bomber Bill had completed his first year of racing under the guidance of Robert Smerdon well before most of his competitiors he faced later in his career 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 as a veteran sprinter. 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 to that point, 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. 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.

BOMBER BILL won 23 times in 98 starts over a decade of racing from a summer 2yo in December 1997 all the way through to an autumn 11yo in March 2007. He retired to Living Legends and later on was nanny to the young ones at Woodside Park.

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