SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN: QUEENSLAND'S BIG GUNS TAKE AIM AT SOUTHERN RICHES

By Graham Potter | Saturday, September 19, 2020

Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the column these articles are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily.

Everybody loves a champion … and, now that Queensland has two Group 1 winners possibly on their way to reaching that status, there are exciting times ahead for racing in the state.

The Sunshine Coast’s own Alligator Blood was the horse on the steepest climb last season and, for the most part, he bounded up it magnificently. The Group 1 Australian Guineas winner made a relatively low-key comeback to racing at Doomben last Saturday after being away from race action for six months.

His third placing, carrying a big weight over a distance short of his best in a first-up performance, was in no way disappointing and trainer David Vandyke will build on that to have the horse primed at the right time for the more lucrative and highly competitive targets that lie ahead.

While Vandyke has pulled the pin on any possibility of Alligator Blood lining up in the $15 The Everest, the four-year-old son of All Too Hard will nevertheless be a big feature race attraction over the Spring Carnival where, hopefully, his feats on the track will take centre stage away from the on-going off track, drama-filled banter about proposed, possible lawsuits which would reference the horse.

Some might argue, rightly or wrongly, that drama has put a dent in the previously surging popularity of the Alligator Blood brand, but if the horse starts winning again that focus will hopefully come back to where it should be.

Rothfire, for his part, stepped straight back into the big time last Saturday in his first up run since winning the Group 1 T J Smith back in June, producing a dominant performance to take out the Group 2 Run to the Rose in his first outing in Sydney.

That win re-enforced a trait of trainer Robert Heathcote who is never shy to take on the best of the opposition when he has a good one in his care … remember Buffering had ten Group 1 placings against the likes of Black Caviar and Hay List before cracking the champagne result himself.

And it could be onwards and upwards from here.

Just a week prior to the Run to the Rose outing, Rothfire secured a slot in $15 million The Everest for which he is obviously now a genuine contender. A year ago, Rothfire had not even had an official trial. Talk about a steep climb … but that is where seven wins from eight starts in carefully measured, well placed races can get you!

So, there we have it … Queensland have seldom had two representatives over the Spring carnival with the outstanding credentials of Alligator Blood and Rothfire.

They are not alone in the Queensland team. The likes of the Stradbroke winner Tyzone and Vanna Girl, both trained by the Toby and Trent Edmonds partnership, are already stabled down south and the possibility exists that others will also still pick out a race to shoot at over the carnival.

As I said, it is exciting times and, as the quality and the competitiveness of the big-time racing heats up, there should be plenty for the racing enthusiast to enjoy!

More articles