Silver Bullion 20/06/09

Baster Brings Home Bullion
Silver Bullion capitalised on a perfect run in transit to win the $70,000 Gillies Famous Pies Handicap (1000m) at Moonee Valley this afternoon.
Settling in third, the three-year-old son of Bel Esprit peeled to the outside of Tully Dreamer and Woppitt before dashing clear at the top of the straight.
In the run to the line, Silver Bullion ($7-$7.50) defeated Tully Dreamer ($15-$16) by ¾ lengths with Starfish ($8-$8.50) a further 1 ¼ length away in third.
Trainer Leon Corstens revealed Silver Bullion has been battling a blood problem before today's race.
"We've had a bit of problems with him lately, just took a while to come right," Corstens said.
"He had a blood problem and we waited and waited and now he's come good."
Winning two races in Tasmania from five starts, Silver Bullion joined the stables of Corstens earlier this year and has since run no worse than third in three Australian starts.
"I've trained for the owner for quite some time so when a horse comes over from Tasmania they automatically come to me."
Corstens also suggested that he wasn't confident of victory with Moonee Valley rated a Heavy (8).
"I was speaking to Steve (Baster) before and he was just saying how he didn't think he handles at Sandown last time and I was a little apprehensive about today when he said that," he added.
After the race, jockey Stephen Baster said he was cautious of pressing forward into the lead considering the horse was wearing headgear for the first time.
"He travelled nice and when I wanted to get off the fence I had the room to do so and was always in control," Baster said.
"He's still learning my bloke, his legs are going everywhere and doesn't know how to flatten out properly, so there is improvement in him."
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Bullion Worth his Weight in Gold after Valley Win
Brad Waters
Saturday, 20 June 2009
Former Tasmanian galloper Silver Bullion continued his rapid improvement since coming to Victoria, overcoming a poor start to score a solid win at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Silver Bullion was having his third start for trainer Leon Corstens and had the blinkers back on but dwelt at the start, his jockey Stephen Baster allowing the son of Bel Esprit to drive up under his own steam to take a midfield position.
Glen Boss on Tully Dreamer skipped away to lead by two lengths on the home turn with Silver Bullion improving to be within striking distance.
Silver Bullion stretched out well in the straight to run down Tully Dreamer to win by three-quarters of a length with 1-1/4 lengths back to Starfish from the David Hayes camp.
“We had a bit of a blood problem lately but we waited and waited and he looks like he’s come good,” Corstens said.
“On today’s run he would be no problem at 1200 metres and he did look like he wasn’t too comfortable on wet ground but no we’re not so sure.”
The $3.80 favourite Woppitt duelled with Tully Dreamer for the lead throughout the early and middle stages before weakening in the straight to miss a place.
Placings and margins: Silver Bullion (S Baster) 53kg ($7.50) defeated Tully Dreamer (G Boss) 54.5kg ($16) by 3/4 lengths with another 1-1/4 lengths back to Starfish (L Nolen) 53kg ($8.50) in third place.
Winner’s breeding – Silver Bullion is a three-year-old gelding by Bel Esprit out of Silver Barbie (Desert King (IRE)).
The times – The three-year-olds covered with 1000 metres 1.00.37 with the last 35.96 seconds.
What they said – “Even though we missed the jump, I was always reasonably confident. He travelled really well” said Stephen Baster, winning rider of Silver Bullion.

BEL'S APPLE ISLANDER WINS SILVER
Silver Bullion is the not the first Tasmanian to successfully ‘raid’ the mainland but he was certainly one of the most impressive with his strong win at Moonee Valley on Saturday (20 June).
The Bel Esprit 3YO powered home over the 1000m circuit and recorded his third win (and third placing) from eight starts.
Originally racing out of the Vicki Rhind stable in Tassie, Silver Bullion was bred by long term Eliza Park clients, Dr Vu Van Tu and Amanda Lockett, who decided to race the horse after he was passed in at the 2007 Gold Coast Magic Millions.
Bringing a yearling home from the sales can be fairly soul destroying, but it’s much easier to take your foot off the Prozac pedal when the $40,000 pass in wins close to $100,000 in prizemoney … with the real likelihood that there’s plenty more where that came from.
Tasmanian based Vu and Amanda are no strangers to success, having bred and raced the terrific sprinter Sedation who won 10 including the 1998 Sandown Guineas-G2 and four other black type events.
First racing in October last year, Silver Bullion produced a win at Hobart on debut followed by another second and a win at Devonport before it was decided the horse would transfer to Leon Corstens stable at Romsey (near Melbourne).
“He starts quick and finishes quick, so we thought he deserved a chance in Melbourne,” Amanda points out.
Finishing third at Flemington on Anzac Day, Silver Bullion then ran second at Sandown in mid May prior to Saturday’s victory at the Valley.
From the Desert King mare, Silver Barbie (also a winner at the Valley), Silver Bullion is closely related to Caulfield Guineas-G1 winner Vitalic.


Silver Bullion (AUS) [2005]Leon CorstensBel Esprit (AUS) - Silver Barbie (AUS)
Psd $40,000 Res $45,000, at Magic Millions Gold Coast Conrad Jupiters 2007 Magic Millions Yearling Sale Session 5 by Eliza Park, Kerrie Vic
Siblings not found