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Smart Missile sires 17th stakes winner.
Ballistic Boy (3 g ex Magical Mist by High Chaparral) landed a well-deserved first stakes success on Saturday, as he galloped to an impressive victory in the Rough Habit Plate (Gr 3, 2200m) at Eagle Farm and in the process became stakes winner number 17 for Twin Hills-based sire Smart Missile (Fastnet Rock).
Last seen running a narrow second in the Gunsynd Classic (Gr 3, 1800m) last month, the Chris Anderson-trained gelding clearly appreciated the step up in trip and he beat Supergiant (Red Giant) by a length and half with another neck back to Navy Cross (I Am Invincible) in third.
"Think Big Stud have been fantastic to me. As a boy I was a big fan of Saintly who won a Melbourne Cup in these colours," Anderson said.
"It was a dream to win a Group race with a horse wearing them and now it has come true.
"I have had three horses - Ballistic Boy, Plutocrat and Boomtown Lass - beaten in black-type races by about a nose in the past fortnight.
"The horses are racing well so I was confident my luck would turn sooner or later."
Anderson had Ballistic Boy and Profit set for the Brisbane winter three-year-old races but had to change his plans several times.
"I felt Profit would be the best stayer but after the Gunsynd Plate I spelled him," he said.
"Ballistic Boy showed me in the Gunsynd he had a future as a stayer and we pressed on with him.
"I will talk to Duncan Ramage from Think Big about the spring. We can have some fun with Ballistic Boy."
The gelding was purchased by Dengari Lodge for $14,000 at the 2017 Inglis Scone Weanling and Thoroughbred Sale, before making $100,000 when selling to his trainer and DGR Thoroughbred Services at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale the following year.
Ballistic Boy is out of four time-winning High Chaparral (Sadler's Wells) mare Magical Mist, who is herself a half-sister to 2011 Levin Classic (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Distill (Volksraad) and Listed scorer Mr Tipsy (Montjeu).
The gelding's Pride Of Dubai (Street Cry) half-sister - now named Splendiferous - was purchased by James Bester for $100,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, while in 2019 Magical Mist produced a colt by Aquis Farm-based stallion The Mission (Choisir) and she has most recently been served by another Aquis Farm stallion in Performer (Exceed And Excel).
Smart Missile's progeny is headed by Group 1 winner Maid Of Heaven and he will stand at Twin Hills Stud for an unchanged fee of $22,000 (inc GST) in 2020.
