Victoria Oaks winner Hollow Bullet was represented by her first winner when Ranryoo scored a three-quarter length victory in a mile maiden at Hanshin on Saturday.

Ranryoo (3c Redoute’s Choice – Hollow Bullet by Tayasu Tsuyoshi) was bred to southern-hemisphere time in September 2007 and is between six to nine months younger than his locally bred rivals.

Ranryoo was sold for $850,000 at the 2009 Inglis Easter yearling sale and two months later was shipped to Japan.  He is raced by Kazumi Yoshida, the wife of Katsumi Yoshida who is the co-chairman of Shadai Stallion Station.

Hollow Bullet started at the other end of the spectrum when selling for a mere $10,000 at the 2003 Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale.  She was purchased by Mornington trainer John McArdle and returned $1.46 million courtesy of victories in the G1 VRC Oaks, G1 STC Arrowfield Stud Stakes and G2 VRC Wakeful Stakes.

Soon after pulling up last in the 2006 G1 Coolmore Classic, Hollow Bullet was catalogued for the Magic Millions National broodmare sale by Fulmen Park (as agent) but was withdrawn beforehand.

She eventually changed hands because the Arrowfield Group and the Yoshida family’s Jungle Pocket Pty Ltd were credited as the breeders of her first foal Ranryoo.  The mare returned to Redoute’s Choice but the colt died soon after birth.  She foaled another Redoute’s Choice colt last September and was then bred back to Hussonet.

McArdle still has a link with Hollow Bullet through her younger half-brother Za Bullet (3c Zabeel – Beat The Bullet by Bite The Bullet).  He was a Ballarat maiden winner in October.  

McArdle and Redgum Racing paid $300,000 for Za Bullet at the 2008 Inglis Easter yearling sale.  They returned to the Newmarket sale ring last year and bought the Shamardal – Beat The Bullet colt for $200,000.  He has been named Seventh Bullet.