Backhanded compliment for Billie Bronx

Monday, 22 January 2024 | Trainer Peter Hardacre is back in the groove with Thrill Kill (Stryker) and Billie Bronx (Manhattan Rain) making it five winners this month for his dual-stable team at Murray Bridge and Mt Gambier.

Thrill Kill claimed the Coonawarra Vignerons Cup (1700m) at Penola last Thursday week and Billie Bronx (pictured) gave apprentice Alana Livesey an armchair ride at Gawler on Saturday.

“Peter had Billie Bronx peaking today and she came out running,” Livesey said after a four-length victory in the Kingsford Hotel Hcp (1506m).  “She was unlucky last time but it was pretty straight-forward today.”

The daughter of Geisel Park sire Manhattan Rain had blitzed her rivals by 8 lengths on debut at her home-track in November 2022 (pictured) and she returned in March for a front-running victory at Morphettville.  That earned the 3yo filly a black-type start and Hardacre couldn’t fault her going into the LR Clare Lindop Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville in April.

“She’s only ever had one back-hander to date.  She didn’t really need that one, either.”

Unfortunately for Hardacre, Billie Bronx was desperately unlucky in the Clare Lindop Stakes.  She pulled up lame in the off-foreleg after being inconvenienced twice by Victorian visitor Zennzella (Snitzel) near the 800m marker.

Now a 4yo mare, she is still untapped with a career-card of just 8 starts.   Her dam Gauss (Rakti) also won a Coonawarra Vignerons Cup at Penola in 2014 and the bottom line goes back to Bodega (Without Fear) who won the 1975 Karrakatta Plate.

Geisel Park has 11 lots entered for next month’s Perth Magic Millions and its first locally-bred Manhattan Rain yearlings will be offered at the 2025 Perth Magic Millions.