Sniper's Bullet Wins At Ascot

Saturday, 05 December 2009 08:15

Six-year-old Sniper's Bullet won his third Group One feature and his second in as many weeks when Damien Oliver steered him to an emphatic victory in the Kingston Town Stakes at Ascot.

Saturday's win in the 1800m weight-for-age event followed the Tracey Bartley-trained gelding's triumph in the Railway Stakes (1600m) at the same track on November 21 and in the 2007 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm in Brisbane.

Oliver was the third to jockey to win at the elite level on Sniper's Bullet after Craig Williams was aboard in the Stradbroke and Nash Rawiller was the pilot in the Railway.

The win was Sniper's Bullet's eighth in 34 starts which have also yielded 13 placings for prizemoney approaching $2.5 million.

Dante's Banquet set a cracking pace in front but Oliver was able to bring Sniper's Bullet over from his wide gate to sit second.

He gave chase to the leader approaching the home turn and put the race beyond doubt when he dashed to a winning lead at the top of the straight.

Local three-year-old God Has Spoken ran home strongly for second while dual Group One winner Scenic Shot got a long way out of his ground early and was doing his best work late for third.