Buffalo Bill Cody has been the talk of the training tracks and he duly goty off the mark as a sire with his first runner today in a 1000m event at the Vaal Classic track.
The strongly built Tony Peter-trained Pistol Pete, who is a Wilgerbosdrift and Maurtitzfontein-bred colt out of five time-winning Tiger Ridge sprinter Oklahoma Sky, showed good gatespeed and pace to lead from start to finish in the decent Maiden Juvenile Plate. He was green but displayed a nice action and has plenty of scope for improvement.
The field included the Sean Tarry-trained Proceed (Gimmethegreenlight), who finished second in a hot maiden juvenile event on Betway Summer Cup day, as well as the hard-knocking Pomodoro colt Ready Set Fire, The form coming out of this race should be strong.
Buffalo Bill Cody is a formwer Mike de Kock-trained Australian-bred by Redoute’s Choice.
He never earned black type, but was held in such esteem that in his first attempt at a stakes race in the Gr 1 weight for age Champions Cup over 1800m at Hollywoodbets Greyville he started 2/1 second favourite despite being up against the like of Equus Horse Of The Year Rainbow Bridge and three-times Gr 1 winner Soqrat. He was beaten by 2,9 lengths into fifth place, but the fact that the horse he had slammed by 3,25 lengths in his previous start over 1600m, Cirillo, finished in front of him in the Champions Cup likely confirmed he was not comfortable under lights for the first time.
Buffalo Bill Cody was already a late four-year-old then and had compiled a career record of six wins from seven starts. However, he had already had three layoffs by the time he won for the sixth time. After the Champions Cup he had another two layoffs and another two runs, before the towel was thrown in.
All in all his career never got going, so he was never able to fulfil his enormous potential.
However, the dogs have been barking about his young two-year-olds and this is definitely a sire to watch.
Buffalo Bill Cody ran in Mary Slack’s famous black with a scarlet cap colours and stands at Wilgerbosdrift Stud, Last season he was available at a fee of R10,000 + VAT for a live foal, which could well turn out top be a bargain for those who sent him mares.
