Robert Heathcote

Australia

MICROPHONE X BLESSED ANNA FILLY
FLR &amp; trainer Rob Heathcote strike at the Magic Millions QTIS Sale with this sharp filly by Champion 2yo colt&nbsp;MICROPHONE&nbsp;and a half-sister to now FIVE winners including&nbsp;4&nbsp;individual 2yo winners! PEDIGREE UPDATE, 27 September 2024: Half-brother READY TO PARDON wins again! Now a 2x winner and 3x placed from only 12 starts to date.&nbsp; PEDIGREE UPDATE, 13 July 2024: This filly's 2yo half brother ASK ME MATE goes back to back in Rockhampton! &nbsp;Now a 2x consecutive 2yo winner from only 3 starts to date Sire Update, 26 June 2024: &nbsp;Talented daughter of Microphone MATISSE delivers a deserving first win at Doomben following on from her bold 2.4L 7th in the Group 1 Blue Diamond in the Autumn and prior placings in the Group 2 Blue Diamond Prelude and Group 3 Blue Diamond Preview.&nbsp; 
Video: Trainer Update &ndash; 23 September 2024
<a href="https://vimeo.com/1014214101">https://vimeo.com/1014214101</a>
Video: Pre-Training - 20 June 2024
<a href="https://vimeo.com/964271190">https://vimeo.com/964271190</a> Video: Breakers - 23 April 2024 <a href="https://vimeo.com/938506562">https://vimeo.com/938506562</a> 
SHARE PRICE: 5% share =&nbsp;$8,211 inclusive of purchase price, purchase &amp; bloodstock costs, Magic Millions race series nomination, scope &amp; vetting, 12 months insurance and gst, plus upkeep costs until end of August-2024.&nbsp; ONGOING COSTS Estimated at an average of $200-220 per month per 5% share over a 12-month period.&nbsp; FURTHER INFORMATION 
<ul>
<li>By first season sire&nbsp;MICROPHONE&nbsp;- the Group 1 winning Champion 2yo colt of his generation and a son of the best two year old sire in Exceed And Excel!</li>
<li>From only limited numbers to race, he's sired 2yo Doomben winner&nbsp;PULPIT,&nbsp;talented filly&nbsp;MATISSE,&nbsp;a city winning 2yo&nbsp;who ran 3rd in the Group 2 Blue Diamond Preview and Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude and another early running talent in MISS JUDAS who ran 2nd in the pre-Christmas Kirkham Plate at Randwick behind subsequent Stakes Winner Shangri La Express</li>
<li>Dam Blessed Anna is by terrific Broodmare Sire in General Nediym and she's produced FIVE winners including 4 x 2yo winners including the current season 2yo in her half-brother Ask Me Mate. Trainer Rob Heathcote also trained her other half-brother in another 2yo winner Archdeacon.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Compact, strong and forward moving, this&nbsp;filly is an early born, precocious type bred by Queensland's best in Eureka Stud. &nbsp;</li>
<li>To be targeted towards the rich QTIS &amp; Magic Millions race series with extra QTIS bonuses on offer for Fillies!</li>
<li>From the same sale as FLR stable stars&nbsp;THE INSTRUCTOR&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;RELEASE THE BEANS&nbsp;and with the same trainer as another QTIS &amp; Magic Millions super star&nbsp;ABOUNDING!</li>
</ul>

Microphone x Blessed Anna filly

Unraced

For Syndication

LEAN MEAN MACHINE X AZORES 2YO GELDING
TeamFIRST love finding bargain beauties and we've done it again here with this athletic gelding by young sire Lean Mean Machine out of the very good producing mare Azores. He's a half-brother to three to race, for three winners including two 2yo winners in Corvo and Estrondo, plus he's from the family of trainer Rob Heathcote's stable star PRINCE OF BOOM! SHARE PRICE: 5% share =&nbsp;$3,460 inc&nbsp;of&nbsp;purchase price, bloodstock &amp; compliance costs, Magic Millions race series, vetting &amp; scope, 12 months insurance plus upkeep costs until August-24 (inc breaking in). ONGOING COSTS Estimated at an average of $200-220 per month per 5% share over a 12 month period.&nbsp; FURTHER INFORMATION
<ul>
<li>By a young sire in Lean Mean Machine,&nbsp;a son of the all conquering super sire Zoustar, and sire of Stakes Winner MATERIAL DREAMS, recent impressive Caulfield winner Title Fighter and&nbsp;Eagle Farm winning 2yo Jemoma Alpilage</li>
<li>From a terrific Queensland winning family and bred by QLD's best in Eureka Stud, this colt is a&nbsp;half-brother to three winners from three to race,&nbsp;including his 2yo half-brother also trained by Rob Heathcote!</li>
<li>Dam Azores is also the&nbsp;daughter of Gr2 QLD Guineas Winner EXPRESS AIR, making her the half-sister to&nbsp;5 more winners&nbsp;including Stakes Winning 2yo SIMPLY FLY and this is the immediate family of&nbsp;another Heathcote stable star&nbsp;in multiple Group winner PRINCE OF BOOM as well as WA speedster KESHI BOOM</li>
<li>Secured from the&nbsp;same sale as FLR stable stars&nbsp;in Stakes Wining 2yo THE INSTRUCTOR and FLR's QLD Horse Of The Year RELEASE THE BEANS</li>
<li>Both Magic Millions &amp; QTIS race series nominated!</li>
</ul>
PEDIGREE UPDATE, 25/09/24: FLR's Lean Mean&nbsp;Machine&nbsp;gelding's half-brother Estrondo runs another close 2nd at Doomben. &nbsp;Another win for him is not far away! SIRE UPDATE, 7/08/24: Lean Mean Machine's Soso Lucky remains undefeated with another exciting win over in the West at Belmont on Saturday! &nbsp;She's now 2 for 2 by a combined 4.4 lengths! 
Video: Trainer Update, 23 September 2024
<a href="https://vimeo.com/1011902319">https://vimeo.com/1011902319</a> Video: At the breakers, 20th May 2024
<a href="https://vimeo.com/948202341">https://vimeo.com/948202341</a> Video: At the breakers, 23rd April 2024
<a href="https://vimeo.com/946473983">https://vimeo.com/946473983</a>

Lean Mean Machine x Azores

A colt out of the metro winning and Stakes places Sarisara &ndash; A half-sister to Boomsara from the family of Chapter and Verse, Miami Fleiss and Cifrado. She&rsquo;s also kicking big goals in the breeding barn with the recently Stakes placed Avone. Eureka Stud are the leading breeders in Queensland for good reason, they&rsquo;re consistently producing results including recent Gr.1 winners Apache Chase, Pippie, Spirit Of Boom, Temple Of&nbsp;Boom and Tinto along with our Prince of Boom. We couldn&rsquo;t be happier to purchase this colt by their champion first season stallion Encryption. 
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BY ENCRYPTION &ndash; Queensland Champion 1st Season sire
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Precocious, sound and tough enough to race seven times at two, Encryption, a Godolphin home-bred was one of the classiest and most consistent juveniles of his year, stakes placed at each of his first three outings before a Blue Diamond fifth and a soft win in the Gr.3 Black Opal Stakes.
 He was again in winning form at three, charging late to take out the Gr.2 Danehill Stakes down the Flemington straight and running a great race - again strong late - when fifth in a hot Gr.1 Coolmore Stud Stakes with Sunlight, Zousain, Lean Mean Machine and Written By ahead of him.
 As a summer/autumn three-year-old taking on the older horses, Encryption continued to perform consistently, splitting Booker and Eduardo in the Gr.1 Oakleigh Plate before finishing close up in the Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap and the Gr.1 Galaxy and. At his finale, having no luck in the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap.
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Proving consistently popular with breeders at each of his five seasons at stud, the handsome 16hh bay has made an encouraging start to his stud career with his first crop just three; those youngsters going so well that the Encryption progeny continue to sell well (for up to $170,000 at the recent Magic Millions).
 Two of his first crop members are already stakes winners - the recent Gr.3 Vo Rogue Plate winner Cifrado who also has a Gr.2 BRC Sires Produce Stakes and a Gr.2 Spirit Of Boom Classic on his impressive resume.
 And also in recent winning form is Encoder - a $40,000 bargain buy who charged home to easily win the Gr.3 Grand Prix Stakes at Eagle Farm in mid-December. He too is lightly raced and promising; three wins from just ten starts.
 The success of those two horses puts Encryption in the top five second season sires by stakes winners, the same numbers as Justify, The Autumn Sun and Grunt. He was the second leading first season sire behind Justify and was the leading Queensland stallion for last season.
&nbsp;
OUT OF SARISARA &ndash; PROVEN ON THETRACK AND AT STUD
Good race mares often make the best broodmares and Sarisara has already proven in her ability to produce a very nice racehorse.
 Quickly into form for her breeders Eureka Stud, she was only just beaten at her two-year-old debut - winning her next two at Doomben and going on to finish close up in stakes company on three occasions that season.
 She was again in winning form at three, she was a game on pace third in the Listed Silk Stocking Stakes and at four she was a first up winner at Doomben. Winning over $250,000 in stakes, she retired to stud in 2016 and has proven a consistent producer with her first five foals (this fellow is her sixth) all making it to the track.
 And four of those are winners - the city placed three times winner Sakura Star (by Rubick) and the Eagle Farm winner Boom Court (by Spirit Of Boom) her first two whilst her three and two-year-olds are showing plenty of ability.
 Avone (by Spirit Of Boom) has won two of her first six starts and was only just run down by Robert Heathcote's exciting filly Abounding (winner of the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas) in the Listed Gold Edition Stakes in mid-November whilst Hell Of A Bentley (by Hellbent) saluted at his recent Townsville debut.
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Nominated for the rich Magic Millions bonus schemes. 
On-goings charged at $210 fixed monthly fees &ndash; No surprises!
Cost is $4,500 for 5% including all costs up to 1st April 2024.
This includes purchase price, GST, 12 months insurance, Pre-sale vet inspections and scoping, Magic Millions race series, QTIS series, transport, breaking in and all holding costs until 1st April 2024.
Call the Adrenaline Team: Michael on 0459 993 378 to discuss or to reserve your share. 
Adrenaline Thoroughbreds 
Michael (0459 993 378) Paul (0402 918 944)

Encryption x Sarisara 22

A son of Xtravagant, the multiple Gr.1 winning and Champion NZ 3yo who has had an outstanding start to his stud career producing over 8% Stakes winners to winners. He&rsquo;s an athletic and well put together colt that moves well, and he&rsquo;s going to continue to develop into a very nice style of horse at 3. His dam has already produced a Stakes winner. This sprinter miler ticks a lot of our boxes. 
<div>BY XTRAVAGANT &ndash; A SIRE ON THE UP AND UP </div>
<div>We&rsquo;ve been looking at all the Xtravagant&rsquo;s we could this year trying to find the right horse at the right price and we&rsquo;ve done it with this colt. </div>
<div>Why? Any stallion producing around 8% Stakes-winners to winners is moving into the elite league. Xtravagant is an athletic, well-bred and well-performed young stallion that is making a big impact in the early stages of his career. As a racehorse he was named New Zealand&rsquo;s champion 3yo and in so doing was the highest rated 3yo since Bonecrusher. It&rsquo;s worth watching his destruction of the Group 1 fields in the NZ Guineas and the NRM Sprint (beating five individual Group 1 winners) both by 8 length and widening margins.</div>
<div>A third-season stallion with a touch over 100 runners, he&rsquo;s produced over 60 winners including:</div>
<div>&bull; Xtravagant Star: $1.2MIL &ndash; Listed Inglis Millennium</div>
<div>&bull; Devoted: $337k - won Listed Belmont Guineas</div>
<div>&bull; Lavish Girl: $451k &ndash; won Group 2 Armanasco Stakes, second in the How Now Group 2 and Hot Danish Group 2</div>
<div>&bull; He&rsquo;s Xceptional: $300k won Listed McKenzie</div>
<div>&bull; Arts: $150k &ndash; won Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes</div>
<div>&bull; Nadal &ndash; 3rd in Group 2 Run to the Roses </div>
<div>Results like this have seen his service fee double from $11k to $22k and his book of mares increase from 49 mares covered in 2021 to 141 in 2022.</div>
<div>His progeny has been selling for up to $360k this year and have been purchased by leading judges such as Gai Waterhouse, Gerald Ryan, Gary Portelli, Bjorn Baker and Ciaron Maher. </div>
<div>OUT OF TIFFIN &ndash; A STAKES PRODUCING MARE </div>
<div>Evidence has shown time and time again that mares that could gallop are the best producers. Another way to reduce risk is to buy from mares that have already produced good horses. We often stick to these principles, and this good-looking colt ticks both boxes &ndash; he&rsquo;s out of Tiffin, a mare who performed up to Saturday metropolitan level in Sydney and has produced high quality gallopers. </div>
<div>Her son, Lightinthenite, was the winner of eight races and a metropolitan winner at Canterbury, Rosehill, Randwick and Caulfield winning the Group 3 Coongy and running fourth in the Group 1 Epsom. She also produced Singular Sensation who won her first start at two by 4 lengths before dominating a Doomben Saturday field, winning by a margin of 3 lengths. Singular Sensation looked to the second star she&rsquo;d produced but was unfortunately injured and we never got to see her reach her full potential, watching her first two races suggests she was destined for big things. </div>
<div>Nominated for the rich Magic Millions bonus schemes. </div>
<div>On-goings charged at $210 fixed monthly fees &ndash; No surprises! </div>
<div>Cost is $3,250 for 5% including all costs up to 1st December 2023. </div>
<div>This includes purchase price, GST, 12 months insurance, Pre-sale vet inspections and scoping, Magic Millions race series, BOBS series, transport, breaking in and all holding costs until 1st December 2023. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Call the Adrenaline Team: Michael on 0459 993 378 to discuss or to reserve your share. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Adrenaline Thoroughbreds </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Michael (0459 993 378) Paul (0402 918 944)</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>

Bargain Buy Xtravagant colt! Contact ADRENALINE THOROUGHBREDS to secure a share!!

Xtra La Vita

We thought this colt was the pick of the Yarramalong Park draft. He&rsquo;s got everything we want to see in a horse. A well-grown colt that&rsquo;s correct, he has a balanced and fluent action with a laid-back shoulder, big barrel and strong hind. Better than Ready continues to produce numerous winners in good races. The colt&rsquo;s dam is by Street Cry who was a champion sire and he looks to be as good as a dam sire.
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BY Better than Ready &ndash; QUEENSLAND QTIS with NATIONAL QUALITY
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Better Than Ready won eight of his sixteen starts with half of his victories coming at Stakes level. A son of More than Ready, a Gr.1 winner and Champion sire in both Australia and the USA, with offspring such as More Joyous and Sebring, Better than Ready was himself a speed machine on the track who broke Northern Meteor&rsquo;s Randwick 1200m track record, running 1.08.19s.
Sent to stud as a multiple Stakes winner from an Australian speed family, he was an instant success producing fast and tough stock, which had him win the Australian First Season Sires&rsquo; Premiership defeating Deep Field.&nbsp; With quality horses coming through such as $1.5 million earner Apache Chase, $1.7 million earner The Odyssey and Magic Millions&rsquo; runner-up Alpine Edge, we&rsquo;re looking forward to seeing what he does with the better mares he&rsquo;s now getting as a result of his early success.
A horse who hit the ground running as a stallion, Better Than Ready is proving a terrific source of winners with an excellent strike rate of 65.1% and progeny earnings in excess of $38.9 million. Nine of his progeny are Stakes winners and they are horses who really know how to find the line. His Gr.1 Kingsford-Smith Cup winning son Apache Chase was a nine times winner, and his now at stud son The Odyssey won ten races. His Stakes winners average 5.6 wins each and they can show up early - and race on.
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OUT OF One Fire Beach &ndash; STRENGTH OF FAMILY
A city-placed two-times winner, One Fire Beach was a $250k yearling purchase by Anthony Cummings and is a daughter of the outstanding shuttling success story Street Cry (the sire of the mighty Winx who won 25 Group 1s along with over $26 million in prize money).&nbsp; But he&rsquo;s no one-horse stallion, siring 133 Stakes winners and 25 individual Gr.1 winners (including another superstar in Zenyatta won 19 of her 20 starts including thirteen Group 1s and $7 million in the US).
 And what an outstanding broodmare sire he is: currently third in the Australian sire charts behind Encosta De Lago and Fastnet Rock but with nearly half as many runners. Street Cry's daughters have produced 155 Stakes winners with 25 Gr.1 winners including the Gr.1 W.S Cox Plate hero Romantic Warrior.
 This imposing, handsome colt is just the second foal for One Fire Beach whose first - the yet to race three-year-old Invader filly Koyu Beach - is a recent jump-out winner. One Fire Beach is one of the six winners (from as many foals to race) for the Gr.3 Tesio Stakes-winning Flying Spur mare Maslins Beach - also dam of the Stakes&rsquo; placed Salmanazar and fellow city winners Lord Coconuts and Honey Go Lightly.
 Maslins Beach's Stakes-winning dam New Acquaintance also did a great job at stud, producing the Gr.1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner, Knowledge.
 This is a family that has been producing high class performers for generations. The big race winners Igloo and Midnight Fever hail from the same branch of the internationally prolific Lady Josephine family, so well-represented in this part of the world by Eight Carat and her high class descendants.
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Nominated for the rich Magic Millions bonus schemes. 
On-goings charged at $210 fixed monthly fees &ndash; No surprises!
Cost is $4,700 for 5% including all costs up to 1st July 2024.
This includes purchase price, GST, 12 months insurance, Pre-sale vet inspections and scoping, Magic Millions race series, QTIS series, transport, breaking in and all holding costs until 1st July 2024.
Call the Adrenaline Team: Michael on 0459 993 378 to discuss or to reserve your share. 
Adrenaline Thoroughbreds 
Michael (0459 993 378) Paul (0402 918 944)
&nbsp;

BY Better than Ready – QUEENSLAND QTIS with NATIONAL QUALITY

Better than Ready x One Fire Beach Colt

For Sale

We think we got this colt at terrific value. He&rsquo;s an athletic son of the great Spirit of Boom who represents everything we look for physically. His dam, a daughter of star galloper and sire Northern Meteor had the pedigree and type for Gai Waterhouse to spend $270k for her as a yearling. She was the winner of 5 and City-placed, so has the type, genetics and ability to leave a runner &ndash; we hope it&rsquo;s this colt.
&nbsp;BY Spirit of Boom &ndash; PRODUCING CLASS GALLOPERS
Not only is the evergreen dual Gr.1 winning sprinter Spirit Of Boom one of our favourite stallions (he&rsquo;s the sire of Adrenaline's star galloper Prince Of Boom, our fast finishing mare Champagne Pop and our exciting up-and-comer QTIS Jewel runner Estrondo) &ndash; he&rsquo;s Queensland's favourite too!
Achieving the highest average at the recent Magic Millions March Yearling Sale, Spirit Of Boom continues to do the job at stud maintaining an exceptional 71.4% winners-to-runners strike rate with 24 of his sons and daughters Stakes winners. Another 15 of his progeny are Stakes-placed and further 93 are metropolitan winners - which means that over a third of his winners are AT LEAST city class! With over $50 million in progeny earnings, Spirit Of Boom gets not just winners but horses who race on and win a good number of races, such as our fellow Prince Of Boom (eight wins from 20 starts, four of those in Group company and another at Listed level).
OUT OF Chloe&rsquo;s Comet &ndash; GOOD RACE MARES MAKE GOOD PRODUCERS
When inspecting Spirit Of Boom's progeny, the Adrenaline team look for the most desirable traits of the breed and this strong, athletic colt has them! He is the first of two Spirit Of Boom colts produced by the good race mare Chloe's Comet who was up and running early. This $270k yearling purchase by Gai Waterhouse was placed at her Kensington debut at 2yo, and finished a close fifth in Listed company at just her third start, having worked hard from an outside gate.
Going on to win five races and filling placings on six other occasions from 24 starts, Chloe's Comet was versatile winning from 1100m to 1500m - and she could win from the front or from behind and in any type of conditions. Her first named foal, the $100,000 yearling Nikolsky is a Smart Missile three-year-old and is yet to race, but has been in the placings in a couple of jump-outs. Chloe's Comet is one of the four winners produced by the Choisir mare Chloe, also dam of the Stakes-placed Wedgetail. She is a half-sister to the Gr.1 VRC Oaks heroine Bulla Borghese, who has done such a great job at stud as the dam of the Gr.2 Furious Stakes winner Bound For Earth and ancestress of the Group winners Calliope, Zethus, Bacchanalia and the recent Gr.2 Rubiton Stakes winner Kallos. Chloe's Comet is by the brilliant Gr.1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Northern Meteor, who turned into a high class sire from limited opportunities.&nbsp; Sadly he passed away after just four years at stud but not before producing six individual Gr.1 winners including Caulfield Guineas winner Shooting to Win and Champion stallion Zoustar. He&rsquo;s now doing the job as a broodmare sire with his daughters producing twelve Stakes winners to date including the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas winner Communist.
 Nominated for the rich Magic Millions bonus schemes. 
On-goings charged at $210 fixed monthly fees &ndash; No surprises!
Cost is $3,900 for 5% including all costs up to 1st July 2024.
This includes purchase price, GST, 12 months insurance, Pre-sale vet inspections and scoping, Magic Millions race series, QTIS series, transport, breaking in and all holding costs until 1st July 2024.
Call the Adrenaline Team: Michael on 0459 993 378 to discuss or to reserve your share. 
&nbsp;
Adrenaline Thoroughbreds 
Michael (0459 993 378) Paul (0402 918 944) 
<ul>
<li><a href="tel:0418%20602%20433">0418 602 433</a> ( Rob )</li>
<li>Email:&nbsp;rob@robheathcoteracing.com.au</li>
</ul>

Spirit of Boom – PRODUCING CLASS GALLOPERS

Spirit of Boom x Chloe’s Comet 22 Colt

Queensland&rsquo;s Rob Heathcote has found the horse to help him tackle the mountain as aims for a bumper winter carnival.
Trenton Akers
April 29, 2024 - 3:44PM
Rob Heathcote has come so close to winning Queensland&rsquo;s premier race the Stradbroke Handicap &ndash; so many times with geldings &ndash; he reckons it&rsquo;s about time to try it with the fairer sex instead.
The multiple Group 1 winner has identified his Magic Millions Guineas winner Abounding as the horse to help him tackle the mountain as he looks to aim for a bumper winter carnival.
For so long the Stradbroke has evaded Heathcote, even his world-conquering Buffering fell short in heart breaking circumstances.
While the likes of Buffering and Rothfire have been forced to carry the grandstand in the famous handicap, Heathcote is looking to the other end of the spectrum this year.
The veteran trainer is inspired by the deeds of fellow Queenslanders John O&rsquo;Shea and Barry Baldwin, who have won it with three-year-old fillies that are renowned for sneaking in with a featherweight on their back instead.
<img src="https://www.prism.horse/api/public/image/3d8fe78794a64a98ad3a6fbdfaa19dad.jpg" alt="" />
Trainer Rob Heathcote with his filly Abounding at his stables at Eagle Farm. Picture Lachie Millard
&ldquo;I have run second three times in the race along with a third and a fourth,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;It is one of the time honoured handicaps in Australia, the great Buffering was at the peak of his powers and he ran two seconds in it.
&ldquo;Mid Summer Music (2012) knocked us off then who could ever forget that ghostly grey (Linton, 2013) sneaking up along the fence?
&ldquo;Rothfire ran the race of his life with 57.5kg and barrier 18 and runs second.&rdquo;
Heathcote is under no illusions as to the task that lies ahead when it comes to getting his glamour filly into the race and says she will have to earn her way in the $3m race.
&ldquo;It is our feature race, but it is the hardest race in Queensland to win, look at last year, Think About It shows up and wins it then goes on to win an Everest, we ran into a freak,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;It is a race I would love to win, but at the end of the day if you don&rsquo;t, the sun still comes up the day after it and you get to do it all again.
&ldquo;It is unbelievably attractive to run a filly. I remember cutting my teeth and John O&rsquo;Shea did it with Private Steer and Barry Baldwin did it with La Montagna.
&ldquo;I would love to do it with the best three-year-old 1400m horse I have had for a long time, that is Abounding, and she has proven herself at the level in the Magic Millions Guineas.
&ldquo;With a light weight over 1400m on her home track, Jesus, she will be there to beat, but I have to get her there yet.
&ldquo;It is a good path and one well taken, the Gold Coast Guineas into Fred Best into the Stradbroke.&rdquo;
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<img src="https://www.prism.horse/api/public/image/7760cc6138d24b57bb9eb812e2964982.jpg" alt="" />
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While Abounding is at $26 in betting with TAB, she isn&rsquo;t Heathcote&rsquo;s only winter weapon.
He will aim up with the highly touted Press Link who is set to tackle the Queensland Guineas, while sprinting stable stalwart Prince Of Boom will play a role in the sprint features.
&ldquo;It has always been our premier eight or so weeks of the season, it is condensed a bit now but it is still the best,&rdquo; Heathcote said.
&ldquo;I hope the weather can ease up and give the curators some time.&rdquo;
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Robert Heathcote Racing

Trainer Rob Heathcote sets filly Abounding up for Stradbroke success

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Popular jockey Martin Harley, who has been on the side-lines nursing a neck injury, landed his first winner since January at Eagle Farm.
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Trenton Akers
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April 20, 2024 - 7:18PM
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<img id="m_-194428960649035284x__x0000_i1027" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NaKXEAB0wFMfoE9hNjowK5Zbs3uF5i3Mhbj43ZV-FjIjNOMhKNA1K6zTUiD23Te1pDF7CYlTSx2X4jISvgo-buPyJ74ifprOh1jW7emGAUXmlTP5hZn11TH7BcNTQ=s0-d-e1-ft#https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/578163d805a40ae297433c0b75124524" alt="Martin Harley returns to the winner&rsquo;s stall on The Big Goodbye. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography" height="720" border="0" />
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Martin Harley returns to the winner&rsquo;s stall on The Big Goodbye. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography
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<h4><a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/horse-racing" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/horse-racing&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1713816130581000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0PbWV5cWs8E7Z3_65on9QW">Horse Racing</a></h4>
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Martin Harley reckons he hasn&rsquo;t sat on a horse as fast as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/horse/the-big-goodbye-aus" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/horse/the-big-goodbye-aus&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1713816130581000&amp;usg=AOvVaw039cVZsZc4ueW8L-uXyaS8">The Big Goodbye</a>&nbsp;since he won the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas in January and it proved to be true as he powered to a boilover win in the Listed Ascot Handicap at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
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The popular Irishman has been on the side lines nursing a neck injury, but landed his first winner since taking out the $3m feature in January when he took an unconventional route to knock over the likes of Prince Of Boom, Zarastro, Nettuno and All That Pizzazz.
&ldquo;He is the fastest horse I have ridden since Abounding in the Magic Millions, she is the last winner I rode as well,&rdquo; a relieved&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/jockey/martin-harley" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/jockey/martin-harley&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1713816130581000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2aq1rVGB7LU3swZyUb3tRT">Harley</a>&nbsp;said.
&ldquo;It is nice to get back in the winners&rsquo; circle, not many jockeys can make slow horses run fast but when you have a horse that tries, it is a big help.
&ldquo;He is an unbelievable horse who wears his heart on his sleeve.
&ldquo;There was speed on today so we elected to conserve the energy instead and get a nice run up the inside.
&ldquo;It helped to have a willing partner today.&rdquo;
Heathcote said the plan was not always to run in this race but after an excellent first up trial, and reflecting on his excellent first up run in the Swiss Ace plate back in Nov &rsquo;23, the right decision was made to run.
The win sets The Big Goodbye up for a solid winter carnival with a possible next run in the The Victory Stakes in 2 weeks time or the Gold Coasts Prime Ministers Cup 1200 in 3 weeks time.
The win takes this extraordinary tough racehorses record to 11 wins and 15 places from his 37 starts and now banking over $705,000.
A huge band of his delighted owners were on hand to welcome him back into the winners stall taking the Queensland Rogues to the top of the T R L Racing League Table.
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Martin Harley relieved to notch first win since return from latest neck injury aboard The Big Goodbye at Eagle Farm

Abounding last met Skirt The Law when they debuted in the same race in November 2022, they are on a collision course once again to kick off the Queensland winter carnival later this month.
Trenton Akers
April 9, 2024 - 6:00AM
<img src="https://www.prism.horse/api/public/image/cd34b0e2ee274636bd0dec5dddac3b63.png" alt="" />
Abounding wins the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas. Picture: Grant Peters - Trackside Photography."
&nbsp;
Group 1 winner&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/trainer/robert-heathcote" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2" data-ogsc="">Rob Heathcote</a>&nbsp;has no doubts his Magic Millions Guineas winner&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/horse/abounding-aus" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3" data-ogsc="">Abounding</a>&nbsp;can measure up in the winter, as he puts together one of his strongest Brisbane carnival teams in years.
&nbsp;
Abounding, along with the likes of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/horse/rothfire-aus" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="4" data-ogsc="">Rothfire</a>&nbsp;will trial at Doomben on Thursday after they were called off on Tuesday due to a wet track, and Heathcote says his surprise packet filly can continue on her merry way.
While Heathcote may be bullish on her winter aspirations, he says there is one person more excited.
&ldquo;The only person more confident than me is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/jockey/martin-harley" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="5" data-ogsc="">Marty Harley</a>, he has ridden her a few times and gotten off and said &lsquo;holy s**t&rsquo;, she is bigger, she&rsquo;s stronger and gives him a better feel than last time,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know, maybe he looks at the form and sees $2m next to her name and it clouds his judgement a bit.&nbsp;😊
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s fair to say she will measure up, it was a strong three-year-old race she won, so we will start off in the Mick Dittman (April 27, Eagle Farm), then down to the Gold Coast for the Gold Coast Guineas, then the Fred Best.
&ldquo;If she happens to win that, she&rsquo;s into the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/group-one-races/stradbroke-handicap" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="6" data-ogsc="">Stradbroke</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/group-one-races/tattersalls-tiara" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="7" data-ogsc="">Tatts Tiara</a>.&rdquo;
It puts Abounding on a collision course with Tony Gollan&rsquo;s Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/horse/skirt-the-law-aus" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="8" data-ogsc="">Skirt The Law</a>, who is also set to trial on Thursday.
<img src="https://www.prism.horse/api/public/image/fe816799534b4a4a87dee35eb8bef898.png" alt="" />
Rothfire will trial at Doomben on Thursday. Picture: Liam Kidston.
&nbsp;
Ironically, the pair last faced off when they were both on debut on November 12 2022 at Doomben.
Abounding started a $1.50 favourite on the day, however she was skittled by $6 second favourite Skirt The Law.
&ldquo;I have no doubt she can measure up,&rdquo; Heathcote said.
&ldquo;You look at her first three or four races and she probably should be unbeaten, but at the end of the day I will settle for the Magic Millions Guineas.&rdquo;
Stablemate and fellow three-year-old Press Link will also trial on Thursday, alongside&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/horse/prince-of-boom-aus" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="9" data-ogsc="">Prince Of Boom</a>.
After being beaten by a flying&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/horse/think-about-it-aus" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="10" data-ogsc="">Think About It</a>&nbsp;in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap last year, Heathcote said he could well aim up again with Rothfire this time around.
&ldquo;He kicks off in the Victory Stakes, then probably the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/group-one-races/doomben-10000" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="11" data-ogsc="">Doomben 10,000</a>, which I have missed the last few years because it has been wet, Kingsford Smith Cup and maybe the Stradbroke,&rdquo; he said.

‘Holy s**t’: Rob Heathcote has no doubt Magic Millions Guineas winner Abounding can measure up in winter

Eddie Franklin January 22, 2024 
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Leading Queensland trainer Rob Heathcote is ready to travel down the tried and tested path for Group 1 star Rothfire as he outlines his key winter carnival targets.
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In the last two months&nbsp;<a class="body-link" href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/horse/rothfire-aus">Rothfire</a> finished second in the George Moore Stakes, took out the King Of The Mountain and then ran fourth in the Magic Millions Open.
<a class="body-link" href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/trainer/robert-heathcote">Heathcote&nbsp;</a>said his performances added to his milestone career.
&ldquo;The goal was to win the King Of The Mountain which we achieved and then it was to get into the Magic Millions,&rdquo; he said.
<div class="media twitter">
<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered">&ldquo;Unfortunately he drew barrier 16, they gave him 61kg so it was no fault of the jockey (Ben Thompson), it was just the way that the race was run.</div>
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&ldquo;He was enormously brave as he always is but it was just one of those things, an unlucky racing incident so to speak.
&ldquo;If he draws barrier three to six, he gets the perfect run in behind and he beats them but full credit to those that beat him home.&rdquo;
The six-year-old gelding has staged several injury comebacks throughout a fabulous career and Heathcote knows he&rsquo;ll be back to his best in the coming months.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s been sent to the paddock now for a well deserved break,&rdquo; Heathcote said.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;ll come back for the Winter Carnival and probably aim towards the Ascot, the Victory Stakes, maybe the&nbsp;<a class="body-link" href="https://www.racenet.com.au/group-one-races/doomben-10000">Doomben 10,000&nbsp;</a>and maybe the&nbsp;<a class="body-link" href="https://www.racenet.com.au/group-one-races/kingsford-smith-cup">Kingsford Smith&nbsp;</a>but it&rsquo;s a well-trodden path that we&rsquo;ve done the last three years with him.&rdquo;
After a handful of top five placings in 2022, Rothfire was able to find his footing at last year's winter carnival with three placings and a victory in the Group 2 Victory Stakes.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m confident he&rsquo;ll come back firing, he&rsquo;s gone to the paddock in good order, his legs are sound as we just race him in short and sharp campaigns with specific targets,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;We did that again this year and we kicked a goal.&rdquo;

‘He’ll come back firing’: Rothfire tucked away for winter carnival assault

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<div class="news-author">
<div class="news-author__details">By&nbsp;<a class="news-author__details__name" href="https://www.racenet.com.au/news/journalist/trenton-akers">Trenton Akers</a> <time class="date" datetime="2024-01-15T01:58:58.000Z">&nbsp;&bull; 15 January 2024</time></div>
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<div class="article-news__content">
Rob Heathcote will skip the All-Star Mile with his prized Magic Millions Guineas winner&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/horse/abounding-aus#:~:text=Abounding%20is%20a%203yo%20chestnut,racehorse%20with%20above%2Daverage%20ability." target="_self" rel="noopener">Abounding</a>, saying a trip to Victoria is not possible with Queensland's own winter carnival on the doorstep instead.
For the first time this year,<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/news/2024-allstar-mile-carrot-for-gold-coast-magic-millions-winner-20231207" target="_self" rel="noopener">&nbsp;the winner of the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m) was given a golden ticket into the All-Star Mile</a>, however, Heathcote said he would prefer to aim up at the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap instead.
The $75,000 bargain has more than $2m next to her name and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/trainer/robert-heathcote">Heathcote&nbsp;</a>believes his filly will be hard to catch in the winter.
"I feel while it is a nice thing to have, there is a Stradbroke there in the winter," Heathcote said.
"The All-Star Mile is in March, what do I do with her between now and March?
"Then you go to Melbourne and she is cooked for the winter, I wouldn't do it to her.
"I have a winter carnival on our doorstep with all these three-year-old features at set weights where she is so well in.
"I don't know the qualifications to get into the Stradbroke, she has plenty of money but I assume she will need to win an exemption race or something."
In what was the richest win of Heathcote's career, which has included international Group 1's with Buffering, Heathcote can't help but get excited about Abounding's future.
Incredibly, he pointed to the filly's debut race in November 22, where she was defeated as a long odds-on favourite.
"I have been saying all along, that Abounding is something special," he said.
"I think the funniest story is when she first went to the races, she was a $1.50 favorite and one of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/trainer/tony-gollan" target="_self" rel="noopener">(Tony) Gollan's</a>&nbsp;beat me, it turned out to be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/horse/skirt-the-law-aus" target="_self" rel="noopener">Skirt The Law</a>.
"The race produced the 2023 2YO Magic Millions winner ad lo and behold I come out and win the 3yo Guineas with the horse this year.
"It was a maiden at Doomben, I went there thinking I was a certainty and I got blown away by Skirt The Law.
"It's good to see us competing against the southern horses."
</div>

Abounding skips All-Star Mile for Stradbroke

<div class="article-news__divider article-news__divider--author">
<div class="news-author">
<div class="news-author__details">By&nbsp;<a class="news-author__details__name" href="https://www.racenet.com.au/news/journalist/trenton-akers">Trenton Akers</a> <time class="date" datetime="2024-01-01T07:27:58.000Z">05:27pm &bull; 01 January 2024</time></div>
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<div class="article-news__content">
When it's too good to be true, it usually is, but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/horse/rothfire-aus" target="_self" rel="noopener">Rothfire</a>&nbsp;gave punters a winning start to 2024 by taking out the King Of The Mountain in a $750,000 romp.
The Group 1 star was the main attraction for the New Year's Day Toowoomba slot race and delivered when it mattered as a hot odds-on favourite.
Trainer Rob Heathcote would have been giggling when organisers were struggling to fill slots for the race just days out from the event due to Rothfire's presence and in the end it was the easiest pay cheque he's collected.
In what could be the final running of the race in its current setting, Rothfire made the most of the race tailor-made for him &ndash; Queensland-bred and Queensland-trained horses only.
Such was the class gulf between Rothfire and the rest of the field, more horses started at $101 than those which greeted the starter at single-figure odds.
After running second to Imperatriz in Melbourne during the spring, Heathcote carefully crafted a plan to get Rothfire to Toowoomba on New Year's Day and on Monday he pulled it off, with jockey Ben Thompson taking care of his rivals from the widest barrier.
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Settling outside the speed set by local hope Avone, Rothfire held off all challenges to collect the prize.
"It's a miracle this horse is still racing," Heathcote said.
"This was also his first appearance at this track, which takes a bit of getting used to and he was taking on a few locals, including Steady Ready.
"There has been a bit of criticism about the strength of the field, but the fact that he's only just won shows the race is very worthy of its place on the calendar.
"He's a little ripper. He was so cool, calm and collected today, which gave me a lot of confidence.
"At home, Mel (Sharpe) puts a crown on his box and calls him The King, so it's fitting he's been crowned the king of the mountain today."
For his win on Monday, Rothfire won a spot into the Magic Millions QTIS (1300m) and is set to add star power to the super rich day in a fortnights time.

Class shines as Rothfire crowned King Of The Mountain

Rothfire is the star attraction for the $750,000 King Of The Mountain, but his presence has also scared off potential rivals, with just four confirmed runners in the New Year&rsquo;s Eve slot race so far. Trenton Akers&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="calendar:T2:December 18, 2023">December 18, 2023</a> - <a href="calendar:T1:9:49AM">9:49AM</a> 
<div class="description g_font-long-format">
Rob Heathcote is protecting the goose that lays the golden egg for his stable and says&nbsp;<a class="body-link" href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/horse/rothfire-aus" target="_self">Rothfire&rsquo;s</a>&nbsp;summer campaign will be kept to a bare minimum as he looks to win the King Of The Mountain in Toowoomba on New Year&rsquo;s Eve.
</div>
The Group 1 winner could have featured in last Saturday&rsquo;s Lough Neagh Stakes at Eagle Farm, but&nbsp;<a class="body-link" href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/trainer/robert-heathcote" target="_self">Heathcote</a>&nbsp;will instead trial his star sprinter on Tuesday as he prepares for the $750,000 feature.
While he is the star attraction in the race restricted to Queensland-bred horses from Queensland-based stables only, Rothfire&rsquo;s presence is making it hard for other slot holders to fill their spot, with just four confirmed runners so far.
Victory in the race would secure a wildcard into the $1 million Magic Millions QTIS (1400m) 12 days later for Rothfire in what could be a golden fortnight for the in-form Heathcote.
&ldquo;I have to look after his longevity, so it is three runs this summer, that is all,&rdquo; Heathcote said.
"He will carry 60.5kg up there at Toowoomba, which he did and almost beat Zoustyle the other day in the George Moore.&rdquo;
Rothfire is a $2.50 favourite with TAB in the race, with Bribie Handicap winner All That Pizzazz on the second line of betting at $4.50.
Other confirmed slot holders Legal Esprit and Steady Ready are both $11.
After placing in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap the last two years, Heathcote is desperate to give Rothfire another opportunity to win the race he wants to win the most.
Heathcote will base his entire preparation around next year&rsquo;s winter carnival and says a short, sharp summer campaign can be the perfect springboard for the six-year-old.
&ldquo;I know what I have got, I have a horse that can win the King Of The Mountain and the QTIS race at Magic Millions and can be successful in the winter carnival,&rdquo; he said.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;I could have run him in the Lough Neagh on Saturday with 61kg over 1400m, but I have to look after the goose that lays the golden egg.&rdquo;

Rob Heathcote protects ‘golden goose’ Rothfire as King Of The Mountain rivals look elsewhere

A storm couldn&rsquo;t stop Abounding making amends for her backers as she dug deep to win the Gold Edition Plate at Eagle Farm.
Courtesy of Trenton Akers
<a href="calendar:T2:December 16, 2023">December 16, 2023</a> - <a href="calendar:T1:7:17PM">7:17PM</a> 
A huge storm battered Eagle Farm on Saturday and Rob Heathcote created one of his own as Abounding stamped her Magic Millions 3YO Guineas credentials with a gutsy win in the Listed Gold Edition Plate (1200m).
Races were forced to be shuffled around as huge lightning struck parts of Brisbane and jockey&nbsp;<a style="height: auto;" href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/jockey/martin-harley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Martin Harley</a>&nbsp;was fearing the downpour may have spelled the end of his chances aboard the filly, but he produced a timed to the minute performance to knock off Angela Jones aboard the Tony and Maddy Sears-trained&nbsp;<a style="height: auto;" href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/horse/avone-aus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Avone</a>.
After being a beaten odds-on favourite a fortnight earlier in the Listed Mode Plate at Doomben, punters charged in again, backing her into a $2.60 chance.
<a style="height: auto;" href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/horse/abounding-aus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Abounding</a>&nbsp;joins an elite honour board, with previous winners including Alligator Blood, Isotope and Zoustyle. Very Elite Company !
Her effort saw TAB trim her $3mill Magic Millions 3YO Guineas Guineas quote from $9 into $8 joint favouritism.
&ldquo;Her last run was brilliant, her win before that was brilliant, she is on the second line of betting in the Magic Millions $3 million Guineas, so that is where we are going,&rdquo;&nbsp;<a style="height: auto;" href="https://www.racenet.com.au/profiles/trainer/robert-heathcote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heathcote</a>&nbsp;said.
&ldquo;Whether I go straight there or have another run in the (Group 3) Vo Rogue (1350m), we will wait and see how she pulls up.
&ldquo;Martin didn&rsquo;t have a lot of luck last start, she was heavily backed that day and she was heavily backed again <a href="calendar:T5:today">today</a>.&rdquo;
After drawing wide on Saturday, Harley was again forced to do it tough and had Heathcote fearing the worst.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want it over again, but she&rsquo;s won and she&rsquo;s won a Listed race for First Light Racing,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;She is one of the flag-bearers for the team now.
&ldquo;I love the fact that she atoned for an unlucky defeat last start, she has a few knockers.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;She is going to be spot on for that race, she is getting the job done and that is the bottom line.&rdquo; 
It marked a second stakes win for Harley and Heathcote together, after they combined to win the Listed Ramornie Handicap earlier this year.
After missing the Magic Millions earlier this year with a broken neck, Harley is set for his first outing at the super rich day.
The Irishman admits he was forced to dig deep on Saturday to pull past Jones, but was in awe of Abounding&rsquo;s fighting spirit.
&ldquo;I was worried when the rain started to come down, she has won on a soft track but she is much better on top of the ground,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;It didn&rsquo;t get too bad <a href="calendar:T5:today">today</a>, my god she was gutsy, every time I asked her, she kept finding.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Abounding shares Magic Millions 3YO Guineas favouritism with Chrysaor and Keenan.

Abounding strikes for punters this time in Gold Edition Plate at Eagle Farm

Michael Rodd&rsquo;s glittering career flashed before his eyes when he was on the sidelines for 30 months, but he landed the biggest win of his comeback to racing on Saturday.
Trenton Akers
December 2, 2023 - 4:12PM
 Melbourne Cup winner Michael Rodd has experienced the highs and lows of racing and began his trek back to the sport&rsquo;s penthouse with his first stakes win since returning from post-concussion syndrome which kept him on the sidelines for 30 months.
Rodd has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/news/michael-rodd-details-extraordinary-recovery-from-postconcussion-syndrome-the-brain-can-heal-20231113" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.racenet.com.au/news/michael-rodd-details-extraordinary-recovery-from-postconcussion-syndrome-the-brain-can-heal-20231113&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1701825954313000&amp;usg=AOvVaw27qNU_0YfjQMPTmfmIqwV6">slowly been ramping up his return</a>&nbsp;to the saddle and landsed his biggest win since May 15 2021 when he landed a timed-to-perfection ride on Beautantes for trainer Rob Heathcote in the Listed Pierata Plate (1200m).
After&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/news/michael-rodd-details-extraordinary-recovery-from-postconcussion-syndrome-the-brain-can-heal-20231113" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.racenet.com.au/news/michael-rodd-details-extraordinary-recovery-from-postconcussion-syndrome-the-brain-can-heal-20231113&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1701825954313000&amp;usg=AOvVaw27qNU_0YfjQMPTmfmIqwV6">linking up with the renowned Dr Brett Jarosz in Melbourne</a>, Rodd has retrained his brain to shake the post-concussion symptoms, which saw even the most simple household tasks leaving him exhausted.
On Saturday, he was back to his best, with a jubilant Heathcote declaring: &ldquo;How good is it to have M Rodd back?&rdquo;
Rodd is adamant he always believed he&rsquo;d make it back to the winners&rsquo; circle and says it was even sweeter to do it a $26 chance.
&ldquo;The last few months before I started back riding I thought I&rsquo;d get back here because of how good I was going away from the track,&rdquo; Rodd said.
&ldquo;I had little markers I could gauge myself on, times I was running 5km in or the body weight exercises I was doing, I was going through the roof.
&ldquo;I was always thinking that if I could get back on the track, it was going to happen for me, I didn&rsquo;t think it was going to be a problem.&rdquo;
It continues an extraordinary run for the family, with Beautantes a half brother to Group 1 winner Startantes and stakes winner Ekaterina.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s amazing to be back, on a horse like that which was a bit of an outsider, he was the only maiden in the field, is is pretty special,&rdquo; Rodd said.
&ldquo;He is really fit so I thought our best opportunity to beat these horses was to be in front, if I was back with them in the ruck they were going to be pretty classy.
&ldquo;Before we straightened up, that&rsquo;s where we won the race, I gave him a squeeze and put a few lengths on them, they couldn&rsquo;t close the margin.&rdquo;

Melbourne Cup winner Michael Rodd makes triumphant return to Stakes-level success after 30 months out

Prince Of Boom capped a fabulous winter carnival for Robert Heathcote with another win at Eagle Farm, vindicating the trainer&rsquo;s decision to bypass the Stradbroke. Prince Of Boom was slugged with 60kg and jumped from the widest gate, but punters hopped into him like he was unbeatable in the Group 3 Healy Stakes.
And so it proved as &ldquo;The Prince&rdquo; had to do work to get across at the start but then simply ran his rivals into the ground after leading for home in the $200,000 Eagle Farm sprint over 1200m.
Strongly backed from $2.70 into $2.25, you probably could have heard the cheers from the next suburb when Prince Of Boom made it two Queensland winter carnival wins on the bounce.
Robert Heathcote could have raced Prince Of Boom in the Group 1 Stradbroke after easily winning the Moreton Cup which carried a golden ticket into the Stradbroke.
But he thought 1400m at Group 1 level might be a bridge too far and instead opted to keep his powder dry for the Healy. It proved a masterstroke.
Heathcote has enjoyed a fabulous winter carnival and Prince Of Boom &ndash; and an earlier Eagle Farm win with Ekaterina &ndash; were the cherries on top.
There was even extra satisfaction when Heathcote trained the quinella in the Healy, thanks to talented sprinter The Big Goodbye.
But to the winners go the spoils and it was a mighty effort from Prince Of Boom, who first burst on to the scene in 2021 when winning the Champagne Classic in his two-year-old season.
It hasn&rsquo;t all been smooth sailing since &ndash; at one point he had wind operation and also had a Melbourne spring campaign where not much went right.
But the cream rose to the top in the Healy.
Heathcote may now look at options in the Sydney spring carnival for Prince Of Boom.
Jockey Tim Clark, who has ridden the sprinter to his last two wins, is full of admiration.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s got a good cruising speed, this horse,&rdquo; Clark said.
&ldquo;He breaks their hearts a bit during the middle stages.
&ldquo;He was starting to feel the pinch late with the big weight and probably coming towards the end of a pretty hard preparation.
&ldquo;He was really brave and did a great job.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a very talented horse.&rdquo;

Big weight and wide gate prove no impost for popular Prince Of Boom in Healy Stakes victory

Queensland champ Rothfire is set for a new travel buddy after Ekaterina stamped her plane ticket to Melbourne with a dominant win at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Connections were bullish she would be able to replicate the feats of stablemate and half-sister Startantes in the Group 1 Tattersall's Tiara had she gained a start.
However, they were forced to settle for the QTIS 3YO Fillies Plate (1200m) instead where she made a mess of her rivals as a $2.30 favourite.
Trainer Rob Heathcote confirmed stable stalwart Rothfire would again head to Victoria for the spring where he will target Moonee Valley sprint features such as the Group 1 Moir and Manikato Stakes.
He will now be joined be Ekaterina, after she marked herself as one of the most progressive horses in the state.
With Rockhampton rocket Chinny Boom setting a strong speed upfront, jockey Tim Clark was patient off the speed before producing the filly at the top of the straight, where she put paid to her rivals quickly.
"She had the best form in the race although her pattern sometimes doesn't make it easy on herself but she was in striking distance today and put them away well," Clark said.
"She's a talented filly and I'm sure they're going to have a lot of fun with her."

Heathcote unearths spring travel mate for Rothfire

16th April 2023 by&nbsp;Trenton Akers Rob Heathcote came back from Melbourne disappointed after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.punters.com.au/horses/prince-of-boom_808289/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.punters.com.au/horses/prince-of-boom_808289/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1681861912283000&amp;usg=AOvVaw15r2qDRb9Wbx-CbIJDEIVx">Prince Of Boom</a>'s spring campaign didn't work out as planned, but he was walking on air on Saturday after his speed machine laid down a strong winter carnival marker. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.punters.com.au/tracks/eagle-farm_60/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.punters.com.au/tracks/eagle-farm_60/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1681861912283000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3q8nQdgJ3P_U7YWzeQ38Gg">Eagle Farm</a>&nbsp;trainer's confidence in the sprinter was tested during the spring, but faith was restored on Saturday when he blitzed his rivals in a hot Listed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.punters.com.au/tracks/ascot_25/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.punters.com.au/tracks/ascot_25/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1681861912283000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3T4oa4gHTiVoeeWDbjzCFU">Ascot</a>&nbsp;Handicap (1000m), beating home stablemate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.punters.com.au/horses/rothfire_730948/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.punters.com.au/horses/rothfire_730948/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1681861912283000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1LkwYGlYg2tgqx8xq-z85Z">Rothfire</a>&nbsp;in a winter carnival appetiser. It also capped a big day for champion jockey Jimmy Orman, who landed a stakes double after taking out the Daybreak Lover a race earlier. "Things didn't go our way in the spring, but he was the horse we think he can be today," a jubilant Heathcote said. "When we failed down in Melbourne, we bit the bullet with a really long spell, brought him back and he has come out here today and done that. "He will go to the Victory Stakes with Rothfire, then Prince Of Boom will go to the (<a href="https://www.punters.com.au/tracks/doomben_12/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.punters.com.au/tracks/doomben_12/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1681861912283000&amp;usg=AOvVaw27i_JPx3NVVcpbigiSaEc4">Doomben</a>) 10,000 while Rothy has a break and gets ready for the Kingsford-<a href="https://www.punters.com.au/trainers/smith_6241/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.punters.com.au/trainers/smith_6241/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1681861912283000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0KFC6HdvQbBUOFHICP-RTA">Smith</a>." Ironically Prince Of Boom's win cost Heathcote a bet with Orman, with the trainer confident his Group 1 champ Rothfire would beat the stablemate home. "I lost that one," Heathcote laughed. His Group 1-winning mare&nbsp;<a href="https://www.punters.com.au/horses/startantes_798917/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.punters.com.au/horses/startantes_798917/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1681861912283000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3JtrxPLp3BwedRS8LoLypV">Startantes</a>&nbsp;put in a slashing performance to mark her as the horse to beat for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.punters.com.au/races/the-archer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.punters.com.au/races/the-archer/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1681861912283000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0MSr-b4Kf7pK6NHgnrfcoJ">The Archer</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.punters.com.au/tracks/rockhampton_5/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.punters.com.au/tracks/rockhampton_5/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1681861912283000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1cxQ_jS0m82xohGziAEy-i">Rockhampton</a>&nbsp;in a fortnight's time. Orman has been booked to ride the mare, with the race this year moved to a Sunday to avoid a clash with the metropolitan meeting on Saturday, opening the door for top jockeys to ride in the $775,000 slot race feature.

Rob Heathcote lays down winter marker with Prince Of Boom

Damien Thornton&rsquo;s riding stint in Queensland hit pay dirt when he rode a Doomben double, including steering Ekaterina to victory to carry on a family tradition for trainer Rob Heathcote.
Ben Dorries
April 1, 2023 - 3:24PM 
Group 1 winning jockey Damien Thornton made his first major imprint on the Saturday Brisbane racing scene with a riding double, as filly Ekaterina&nbsp;was a Doomben excitement machine.
Thornton moved to Brisbane on a semi-permanent basis recently, continuing a family theme which has seen his jockey siblings and fellow former Victorian&rsquo;s Boris and Stephanie in also calling the Sunshine State home.
The two-time Group 1 winning jockey produced a calm and calculated ride on the Rob Heathcote-trained filly Ekaterina who charged home to score in the 3YO Quality Handicap (1200m).
Ekaterina is a half-sister to Heathcote&rsquo;s Group 1 winning mare Startantes, with Startantes set to resume soon with the aim to give the trainer his second win in The Archer, a $775,000 slot race in Rockhampton.
Ekaterina has continued a family tradition dating back to when Heathcote first started training more than a quarter of a century ago.
Heathcote has bred from many quality mares but none better than Cantantes who is the grand dam of Startantes and Ekaterina.
Cantantes was no winning machine on the track, scoring at just two of her 37 starts, but she has been a star in the breeding barn.
&ldquo;There is the added pleasure that Ekaterina is part of that never-ending line that has come out of Cantantes from when I started back in 1997,&rdquo; Heathcote said.
&ldquo;We knew Ekaterina was good.
&ldquo;We call Startantes the Little Pumpkin and we call this girl, her half-sister, Little Barbie.
&ldquo;I am really happy for Damien Thornton, he is a welcome addition to our riding ranks here and he gave this filly a 10 out of 10 ride.
&ldquo;Startantes is back, we are going to go up to Rocky and win The Archer again.&rdquo;

Ekaterina continues family tradition by winning at Doomben

Rob Heathcote never got the chance to see star mare Startantes run in Sydney because of the weather but was toasting a treble in his home state.
Trenton Akers
2 min read
<a href="calendar:T2:October 8, 2022">October 8, 2022</a> - <a href="calendar:T1:6:11PM">6:11PM</a> 
Rob Heathcote got the full racing package on Saturday.
The Group 1-winning trainer was in Sydney to see his star mare Startantes run in the $1m Silver Eagle, but as it turned out, there is no place like home.
As rain bucketed down at Randwick, he never even got the chance to see Startantes run, with the stewards calling them off after race six.
His horses ran riot at Eagle Farm however, continuing a golden run of form from the stable with Drive A Deel, Ekaterina and Extremist winning on the day.
Ironically, it was Startantes&rsquo; half-sister Ekaterina that stole the show, taking out the QTIS 3YO Handicap (1200m) in barnstorming fashion.
It continues an incredible run for the family, which dates back to Cantantes for Heathcote and produced winner after winner.
&ldquo;Ekaterina is from the amazing family of mine who has now produced over 80 winners for me,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;The timing for these horses winning really has been exceptional, they were there to win and they performed.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s funny how it all works out really, I&rsquo;m sitting here at the airport in Sydney having not even watched Startantes run, and I have had three winners in Brisbane.
&ldquo;They have been going all right for a while back at home, they were the right horses in the right races.&rdquo;
Drive A Deel continued an exceptional run of form for Heathcote with some recent stable acquisitions, after he pulled off a plunge with Sweet Margot May a week earlier.
Heathcote said he expects the Silver Eagle to now be run next Saturday, which he will have no option but to run in.
&ldquo;At the end of the day, they will probably run the Silver Eagle next Saturday,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;We have to run, so that&rsquo;s what we will do.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;It happened to me once before, I got to Melbourne for a race, they were called off, so I turned around and came straight back home.&rdquo;

Rob Heathcote picks up Eagle Farm treble after getting caught out in Sydney rain

Rob Heathcote won&rsquo;t be tempted by Everest interest and has his eyes on more spring spoils at Caulfield on Saturday.
Ben Dorries
<a href="calendar:T2:October 6, 2022">October 6, 2022</a> - <a href="calendar:T1:10:48AM">10:48AM</a> 
Despite intense interest from a slot-holder in The Everest in recent times, Rob Heathcote has kept his eye on the prize of the Group 1 Manikato Stakes with comeback star Rothfire.
But in the meantime, Heathcote is hoping he can get a change of luck with smart sprinter Prince Of Boom and knock off some spring spoils at Caulfield on Saturday.
The Queensland Group 2 winner has raced twice in Melbourne this spring, firstly not getting the best of rides when going back and wide and failing to using his speed when starting favourite but finishing eighth in the Listed Chautauqua Stakes at The Valley.
Last time at Caulfield, Prince Of Boom struck unfavourable Heavy 9 track conditions after an incredible rain torrent earlier in the day.
But Damian Lane was keen to keep the ride, in a big vote of confidence, and Prince Of Boom is rated an $8.50 chance in the Listed Neds Village Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.
Heathcote is just hoping the rain forecast in Melbourne on Friday doesn&rsquo;t cause the Caulfield track to be too rain-affected.
&ldquo;Prince Of Boom just hasn&rsquo;t had a lot of luck,&rdquo; Heathcote said.
&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t the best of rides first-up at The Valley for starters.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;And then he didn&rsquo;t want that torrential rain before the race last time. 
&ldquo;He still finished fourth, beaten less than a length and a half, but Damian said his wheels were spinning.
&ldquo;But it was a great vote of confidence that Damian was happy to stay on.
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t want to go to Sydney with Prince Of Boom because I wanted better tracks for him, I hope we get one in Melbourne on Saturday.&rdquo;
Meanwhile, Heathcote has his sights firmly set on a Group 1 prize with Rothfire.
The comeback star won a Group 2 race brilliantly first-up in Melbourne and then didn&rsquo;t get the clearest of paths when finishing fifth, but beaten less than two lengths by Coolangatta, in the Group 1 Moir Stakes. 
There were slot-holders in The Everest that were keen on Rothfire but Heathcote hasn&rsquo;t deviated from his original Melbourne-only plan.
Rothfire is on the second line of betting for the Manikato Stakes as a $6 chance.
&ldquo;There was intense Everest interest in him but I always thought it was in the horse&rsquo;s best interests to stay in Melbourne,&rdquo; Heathcote said.
&ldquo;I want to win the Manikato with him and I think we can.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Heathcote&rsquo;s Group 1 winner Startantes races as an $8 chance in the $1m Silver Eagle in Sydney on Saturday.

Rothfire bound for Manikato Stakes as stablemate Prince Of Boom eyes Melbourne reward

Rob Heathcote won the Group 1 Moir Stakes three times with grand sprinter Buffering but adding a fourth with Rothfire would be the most satisfying of them all.
Trenton Akers
<a href="calendar:T2:September 21, 2022">September 21, 2022</a> - <a href="calendar:T1:11:30AM">11:30AM</a> 
Nothing will ever top winning a Group 1 with Buffering in Dubai for Queensland trainer Rob Heathcote.
But winning the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) on Friday night with the horse he once thought could be as good as the legendary sprinter would go damn close.
The career of Rothfire has had more twists than an Agatha Christie novel and the symmetry is not lost on Heathcote when asked about bringing the five-year-old to the same race his legendary sprinter won three times in five attempts.
Buffering was the headline act of what was a golden era of racing for Heathcote, who regularly enjoyed spring carnival success in Victoria.
&nbsp;
After toying with Sydney in recent years, the Eagle Farm trainer is back to where his love affair began, and says Moonee Valley holds a special place in his heart. 
&ldquo;The most satisfying win of my career was going all the way to Dubai and winning on the big stage,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;It was an extraordinary period in my life because I had come off some good Group 1 wins with Solzhenitsyn, Woorim and Fire Up Fifi ran well, then lo and behold Buffering comes along on to the scene.
&ldquo;It gave us six years of incredible buzz with the Victorian spring carnival. It is bloody special this time of year down there, you can almost touch it, it is that special.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s why the other day (winning Group 2 McEwen Stakes) was right up there with one of the most satisfying wins I have had.
&ldquo;It was <a href="geo:0,0?q=10 years ago when Woorim won the Oakleigh Plate through until 2016 when">10 years ago when Woorim won the Oakleigh Plate through until 2016 when</a> I retired Buff, it was years of just looking forward to Melbourne in the spring each year.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;It was always a matter of &lsquo;who is going with Buff this year?" 
Heathcote once thought Rothfire could be his next Buffering, but in a cruel twist of fate he was struck down by a series of injuries which would have seen most horses retired.
Both horses, however, have their quirky backstories which started with humble beginnings.
Part-owned by former AC Milan goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac, Buffering&rsquo;s owners attempted to make his silks match that of the footballing giants, only to discover they had instead made replicas of their cross-town rivals Inter Milan.
The $22,000 purchase would go on to bank $7.3m in a stunning career that netted seven Group 1s.
Rothfire was purchased over the phone for $10,000 but a Nigerian phishing scheme got in the way and made Heathcote pay twice.
They both ended up being money well spent.
&nbsp;
Heathcote hopes Rothfire one day can enjoy retirement just like Buffering, 15, who calls part owner Bruce Harry&rsquo;s property in the south of Brisbane home. 
&ldquo;I actually thought for one fleeting stage that he was as good as Buffering,&rdquo; Heathcote said.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think he will ever reach those heights with the injuries he has had now, but if he can knock off the Moir or the Manikato, bloody hell it would be satisfying.
&ldquo;The most extraordinary statistic for me, which is an Australasian record, is that Buff ran in 35 Group 1s.
&ldquo;I have had owners say it would be a huge thrill to run in 1 Group 1. He won seven of them too, he wasn&rsquo;t making up the numbers.&rdquo;
It would continue a golden run for Queensland trainers in Victoria this spring, something Heathcote says they have always been capable of.
&ldquo;Our very best horses are as good as theirs, this has been going on for a while now, we just don&rsquo;t have as many of them,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;I have enjoyed a lot of success there, Tony (Gollan) is clearly a super trainer, Steve O&rsquo;Dea and Matty Hoysted are not dills, look at what they&rsquo;ve done.
&ldquo;Others have gone down and had success, it shows we know what we are doing and we have the right horses.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;At the end of the day, training good horses isn&rsquo;t that hard because they are good horses, it is the slow bastards that are hard.&rdquo;

Rob Heathcote reflects on Buffering’s extraordinary career ahead of Moir Stakes bid with Rothfire

Rothfire&rsquo;s biggest danger doesn&rsquo;t come from spruik filly Coolangatta or Godolphin gun Paulele in Friday night&rsquo;s Group 1 Moir Stakes, they come from within, trainer Rob Heathcote believes.
The multiple Group 1-winning trainer says Rothfire&rsquo;s biggest threat in the $1m scamper at Moonee Valley comes from fellow Queenslander Zoustyle.
Heathcote, a three-time winner of the race thanks to his sprinting marvel Buffering, has a spring in his step returning to Melbourne again and is buoyed by the fact he has a leading hope in the market.
Having taken down a number of hot pots with the tough as teak Buffering, Heathcote knows the horses to look out for in big races.
&ldquo;The old tough geldings are the ones to beat, look at your Nature Strip&rsquo;s and your Eduardo&rsquo;s,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;I think Tony (Gollan&rsquo;s) horse Zoustyle is the hardest one to beat in all honesty, he ran a huge race the other day.
&ldquo;There is always a spruik horse going into these races, we had Samaready who beat us in the Moir (2013), then we turned the tables a bit later on in the Manikato.
&ldquo;These horses (like Coolangatta) are always around, but they need to step up to this level.
&ldquo;Ciaron Maher is no dill, I think they will ride Coolangatta a bit different this time so she is not so vulnerable, but Rothfire has improvement in him and the three weeks between runs is perfect.&rdquo;
Paulele ($4.50) was well supported on Sunday morning to grab favouritism from Rothfire ($5) while Coolangatta is on the third line of betting at $7.
After scratching from the How Now Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday, Gollan confirmed he will send his mare Isotope ($11) to the Moir, along with Zoustyle ($11).
Heathcote will this week send Rothfire back to Moonee Valley as he looks to continue his remarkable comeback from injury.
&ldquo;Barriers are going to be crucial and I&rsquo;m taking him back to the Valley early in the week to have a whiz around there, just for a look,&rdquo; he said.

Rob Heathcote believes Rothfire’s main Moir Stakes rivals come from within

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; vertical-align: middle;">By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/news/journalist/gilbert-gardiner">Gilbert Gardiner</a> <a href="calendar:T4:04:58pm 03 September 2022">04:58pm &bull; 03 September 2022</a>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">Brisbane upset Victorian interests for the second time in 48 hours on Saturday, as "miracle" sprinter Rothfire and Zoustyle fought out the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m).
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained favourite Coolangatta faded into third after going stride for stride with speedy Zoustyle in the run.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">While relatively pleased with Coolangatta's return against the older and more seasoned sprinters, the defeat has potentially dulled Maher's Moir aspirations for the electric three-year-old filly.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">Two days after the Brisbane Lions snatched a dramatic AFL finals victory over Richmond, an emotional trainer Rob Heathcote savoured Rothfire's well-earned win on his first visit back to The Valley since he farewelled the great Buffering in 2016.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">Rothfire, "the Thriller from Chinchilla", has raced six times without success after overcoming a career-threatening sesamoid injury in the 2020 Golden Rose.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">"Gee, love this racetrack. I've had some good times here," Heathcote said.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">"It was back in 2016 we farewelled the great Buffering and I've come back here <a href="calendar:T5:today">today</a> with a horse that I thought might have been as good but then he suffered a bad injury.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">"That's his first win back since he suffered that injury and a lot of the owners are here <a href="calendar:T5:today">today</a> and I'm one very, very proud trainer.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">"I said it would be a miracle if he ever got back to the races, he did, it would be a miracle if he could be competitive at this level and it's a miracle he's come back and won."
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">Heathcote, who won the McEwen Stakes with Buffering in 2011, has declared the Group 1 Moir and Manikato stakes as potential targets.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">Buffering won the Moir Stakes three times (2012, 2014-15) and the Manikato in 2013.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">Fellow Queensland trainer Tony Gollan, conditioner of Zoustyle, won The Valley's marquee Cox Plate-eve sprint last year with Jonker.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">Rothfire has firmed in multiple TAB pre-nominations markets, including the Moir Stakes ($11 to $8) and Manikato Stakes ($15 to $11).
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">"I'd like to win another Moir and another Manikato," Heathcote said.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">"I love coming back here."
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">Jockey Damian Lane summed up the McEwen perfectly aboard Rothfire, shadowing Coolangatta in the run.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">"It unfolded great for me. I pinged the gates and I actually thought I might take it up but Zoustyle was quick to boot through and I got a lovely drop on Coolangatta," Lane said.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">"I thought I was the winner on straightening, although Zoustyle showed some resistance, but he was good late."
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">Rothfire is the third Queensland-trained galloper to win a Saturday race in Melbourne the past month, following the successes of Uncommon James (August 13) and Shooting For Gold (August 27).

Rothfire's ‘miracle' victory fills Heathcote with pride

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; vertical-align: middle;">By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racenet.com.au/news/journalist/trenton-akers">Trenton Akers</a> <a href="calendar:T4:12:16pm 04 September 2022">12:16pm &bull; 04 September 2022</a>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; vertical-align: middle;">&nbsp;
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">A lost phone could play a key role in determining Rothfire's spring campaign following his blistering return to form at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">Trainer Rob Heathcote says his win in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) over fellow Queenslander Zoustyle has attracted the interest of The Everest slot holders, but there is one problem.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">"I left my phone in the cab on the way home from the airport in Brisbane," Heathcote laughed.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">"We are trying to track it down now. I had contact from an Everest slot holder on my lost phone."
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">While the $15m lure of The Everest is tempting, Heathcote says he is more than happy campaigning in Melbourne for the time being, as he builds towards the Group 1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley in three weeks time.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">"An old saying my father used to use a lot was &lsquo;little fish are sweet,'" Heathcote said.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">"The Moir is worth $1m and the Manikato is worth $2m, that ain't little fish.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">"But while The Everest is exciting and all the rest of it, if the best horses in the land like Nature Strip, Eduardo and Masked Crusader are in Sydney, I will happily stay in Melbourne."
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">Rothfire's victory continued the golden run from Queensland horses in Victoria after Uncommon James and Shooting For Gold landed victories earlier in the carnival.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">"It (Rothfire-Zoustyle quinella) was good for Queensland racing, on top of what the O'Dea-Hoysted boys have done, we are putting our hand up this spring," Heathcote said.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">To remind him of how far his stable star has come, Heathcote keeps the two bone chips that were removed from Rothfire's legs after his sesamoid injury two years ago on the bookshelf in his office.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">The Group 1-winning trainer says it is a testament to patience and resilience to see his sprinter competing at the top level again.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">"They (bone chips) have sat on my office desk for two years, I look at them every day pretty much," he said.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">"It is only horse people and vets that understand what this horse has done to come back.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">"Normally, they don't come back from fractured sesamoids, it's adios amigos."
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">It comes as Rothfire's stablemate Startantes made the three-horse shortlist for Queensland Horse of the Year, to be announced next month.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; height: auto;">The Group 1 Tatts Tiara winner has been nominated alongside the Desleigh Forster-trained Apache Chase and David Vandyke's Gypsy Goddess, who is on a Golden Eagle path later in the spring.

Lost phone could hold key to Rothfire's spring

4 hours ago by Ben Dorries <a href="calendar:T2:06/09/2022">06/09/202</a>
Rob Heathcote has likened Group 1 winner&nbsp;<a style="height: auto;" href="https://www.punters.com.au/horses/startantes_798917/">Startantes</a>&nbsp;to pint-sized rugby league legend Allan 'Alfie' Langer, as the diminutive equine pocket rocket embarks on a rich Sydney spring campaign starting Saturday. Last-start Group 1 Tatt's Tiara winner Startantes is the mare who is so small that she is known as 'The Little Pumpkin' around Heathcote's&nbsp;<a style="height: auto;" href="https://www.punters.com.au/tracks/eagle-farm_60/">Eagle Farm</a>&nbsp;stables. But what she lacks in size, she makes up for in sheer talent and will to win. She reminds Heathcote of Queensland league legend and Aussie sporting icon Langer, the tiny halfback who mesmerised his much bigger opponents. "What made Alfie Langer so good, he was only a little fella?" Heathcote said. "But little Alfie was one of the best. "Darren Lockyer was a bit the same, there was not a lot of them but they couldn't stop them could they? "Startantes is a bit the same. "People should also remember the little mare called Brawny Spirit in the mid 1990s. "She was a Group 1 winner and she was small and tiny and yet she was one of Australia's best short-course sprinters for a while there." Queenslander Startantes is set to resume in Saturday's Group 2 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill where she will carry topweight of 58kg under the set weights and penalties conditions of the race. Early betting on the race has Startantes as a $9 chance, with bookmakers keeping her safe knowing that she produced a withering burst of speed coming from last to win the Tatt's Tiara at Eagle Farm in June. The form from that race now looks superb with Tatt's Tiara runner-up&nbsp;<a style="height: auto;" href="https://www.punters.com.au/horses/snapdancer_715552/">Snapdancer</a>&nbsp;winning the Group 1&nbsp;<a style="height: auto;" href="https://www.punters.com.au/races/memsie-stakes/">Memsie Stakes</a>&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a style="height: auto;" href="https://www.punters.com.au/tracks/caulfield_81/">Caulfield</a>&nbsp;last month. Heathcote feels the Sheraco is a strong race and said Startantes will be better over more distance on a probable path towards the $10m Golden Eagle. 
 "Saturday is certainly not her grand final, but the race is a good one to kick her off in," Heathcote said. "She will be back and she will be running on, we know that." Meanwhile, Heathcote said two slot holders in&nbsp;<a style="height: auto;" href="https://www.punters.com.au/races/the-everest/">The Everest</a>&nbsp;have now made contact with him after comeback star&nbsp;<a style="height: auto;" href="https://www.punters.com.au/horses/rothfire_730948/">Rothfire</a>'s slashing win in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes at The Valley last Saturday. However, after Rothfire had two aborted The Everest campaigns due to injury in the last two years, Heathcote currently remains set on a Melbourne campaign targeting the Group 1 Moir and Group 1&nbsp;<a style="height: auto;" href="https://www.punters.com.au/races/manikato-stakes/">Manikato Stakes</a>. Heathcote said a $1m bonus is also in his thinking, in terms of the $3m Group 1 VRC Darley&nbsp;<a style="height: auto;" href="https://www.punters.com.au/races/champions-sprint/">Champions Sprint</a>&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a style="height: auto;" href="https://www.punters.com.au/tracks/flemington_45/">Flemington</a>&nbsp;on November 5. 
 There are several conditions attached to the bonus, payable to the winner of the Darley Sprint, but Rothfire will have met the criteria if he runs in the Manikato as he has already won the McEwen. "You have to remember now the Manikato is worth $2 million and if you have won the McEwen and run in the Manikato and then you win the Darley Sprint, you get a $1 million bonus," Heathcote said. "He has had two goes (aborted campaigns) at The Everest so at the moment I am happy with him in Melbourne. "But I do love the concept and the excitement of The Everest. "I will just sit back and see what happens."

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