Just two weeks after breaking his Group One hoodoo, Buffering has done it again with victory in the $1 million VRC Sprint Classic at Flemington.
Jockey Damian Browne bounced Buffering straight to the front from his inside draw and the gelding was never seriously challenged from that point.
Shamexpress emerged from the pack late to get second while Moment Of Change, who raced on the speed throughout, battled on for third.
Buffering’s victory in Saturday’s sprint followed his breakthrough Manikato Stakes success last month which came at his 18th attempt at Group One level.
“He’s a true Queenslander, he just tries his guts out. He’s a wee champ,” Browne said.
“He thoroughly deserves it.”
Trainer Robert Heathcote also praised Buffering’s tenacity and will to win.
The six-year-old placed several times at Group One level behind champion Black Caviar and Hay List when that pair was at the peak of their powers.
But with no sprinter of that calibre racing this spring, Buffering has been able to assert his authority.
“There’s no Black Caviar, there’s no Hay List, there’s no Sepoy. There is a Buffering though,” Heathcote said.
“He just gives 100 per cent every time.”
| Race 6 – 3:00PM VRC Sprint Classic (1200 METRES) |
|---|
| Of $1,000,000.1st $600,000, 2nd $180,000, 3rd $90,000, 4th $45,000, 5th $25,000, 6th $20,000, 7th $20,000, 8th $20,000 GROUP 1 Standard Weight for Age, Maidens at time of entry are ineligible, Apprentices cannot claim.Track Condition: Dead 4 Time: 1:10.36 Last 600m: 0:34.75 INTERIM RESULTS |
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| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Starting Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | BUFFERING | Robert Heathcote | Damian Browne | 1 | 58.5kg | $11 | |||
| 2 | 7 | SHAMEXPRESS (NZ) | Danny O’Brien | Damien Oliver | 0.75L | 7 | 58.5kg | $18 | ||
| 3 | 6 | MOMENT OF CHANGE | Peter G Moody | Luke Nolen | 2.5L | 4 | 58.5kg | $9 | ||
| 4 | 8 | FONTELINA | Anthony Cummings | Nash Rawiller | 3.25L | 6 | 58.5kg | $14 | ||
| 5 | 4 | TEMPLE OF BOOM | Tony Gollan | James McDonald | 4.25L | 11 | 58.5kg | $41 | ||
| 6 | 1 | LUCKY NINE (IRE) | Caspar Fownes | Brett Prebble | 4.45L | 8 | 58.5kg | $3.40F | ||
| 7 | 9 | REBEL DANE | Gary Portelli | Glen Boss | 4.75L | 5 | 58.5kg | $9 | ||
| 8 | 5 | BEL SPRINTER | Jason Warren | Michael Rodd | 5.25L | 9 | 58.5kg | $19 | ||
| 9 | 11 | UNPRETENTIOUS | Nikki Burke | Craig Williams | 6.25L | 12 | 58.5kg | $15 | ||
| 10 | 13 | SIDESTEP | Peter Snowden | Tommy Berry | 7.75L | 13 | 53.5kg | $21 | ||
| 11 | 14 | VILLA VERDE | Shaun Dwyer | Chad Schofield (a) | 7.95L | 10 | 51.5kg | $21 | ||
| 12 | 10 | SESSIONS | Peter Snowden | Hugh Bowman | 8.15L | 3 | 58.5kg | $17 | ||
| 13 | 3 | EPAULETTE | Peter Snowden | Kerrin McEvoy | 17.15L | 2 | 58.5kg | $12 | ||
| 12 | PLATELET | Darren Weir | Ben Melham | 0 |