Trainer Robert Heathcote admits it may sound like a well-used phrase, but he genuinely believes veteran sprinter Rothfire has never looked better.
The eight-year-old lines up in Saturday’s $3 million Russel Balding Stakes (1300m) at Randwick, coming off a strong win in the Group 3 Sydney Stakes (1200m) on Everest day.
“He looks fantastic. In fact, I know it’s an old cliché and a lot of trainers say it, I think he looks better than what he did two weeks ago,” Heathcote said.
Following his win in the Sydney Stakes, Rothfire spent several days at Euroa with the Lindsay Park team before heading to Flemington, where his hooves were attended to by farrier John Bunting.
“He had three days running around in a paddock, and then he went further down to Flemington, where John Bunting is a master farrier. He tends to Rothfire’s feet because he doesn’t have the best hooves.”
“Then I just did what I did last time, floated him up on the Thursday night, a little bit of a light exercise this afternoon, a little light exercise Saturday morning, and off to the races.”
Heathcote remains amazed that Rothfire is even racing at all, given the career-threatening injury he sustained earlier in his career.
“I’m unbelievably proud of him. With what this horse has gone through in his career, the level of injury that he suffered as a three-year-old, to not only compete at this high level, to succeed at this high level is quite extraordinary,” he said.
Rothfire meets tougher opposition this weekend, with a field featuring six runners from The Everest including race favourite and placegetter Jimmysstar. However, Heathcote believes the $23 chance won’t be out of place.
“In Rothfire’s favour, he’s run second in two Stradbroke’s at 1400 metres,” Heathcote noted.
“He’ll be up on the speed somewhere. If we can get a little bit of cover and Jason can time it right when the chips are down, he’ll be strong to the line.”
On the same day Rothfire claimed the Sydney Stakes, stablemate Abounding captured the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, creating the potential for another big weekend for Heathcote.
Abounding lines up as a $10 chance in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m), and Heathcote believes her inside draw will be crucial against a quality field.
“Drawing barrier one, that will force Jamie (Melham) to stay on the paint, maybe three pairs back, be conservative, it’ll help her get the 1600 metres,” Heathcote said.
“It’s a good race but she’s in super form, and at the end of the day, I came down to Melbourne with her not even contemplating a run in the Empire Rose, and here we are on the third line of betting.”
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