ROB’S SHOUT - BUFFERING IS AN OUTRIGHT WINNER IN THE COURAGE STAKES

By Robert Heathcote | Thursday, May 31, 2012

Robert Heathcote is the leading racehorse trainer in Brisbane. 'Rob's Shout' - the personal blog of the multi-premiership and Group 1 winning trainer will appear every Thursday on HRO.

I guess, in a way, we could use the same headline for the blog as last week … “How good is it to have Buff back!” I would however prefer 'Courage … pure courage’ with a capital ‘C’ though, as that is what Buffering showed last Saturday in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000.

I will take nothing away from the win of Sea Siren as she was simply too good on the day and won the race fair and square to make it a Group 1 double in two weeks.

We are all aware of the issues Buffering had with the stone bruise and the subsequent abscess which meant he missed a fair bit of vital work and a crucial lead up run in the BTC Cup.

I personally believe Buffering would have beaten Sea Siren in both races IF he had not had the hoof problem, but that's just my opinion and as we know in racing that is everyone's right to have! It's all hypothetical for now, but no doubt the two will get to lock horns again sometime down the track … maybe even in the upcoming Stradbroke Handicap.

I see Sea Siren’s trainer and owner were playing a bit of 'chess' with the handicapper and threatening not to run if the filly received a decent penalty for the 10,000 win. She did get a 1.5 kilo penalty, but I bet they will still run her!

A fair bit of comment about the filly actually being re-handicapped seeing as it was a WFA race, but the Straddie is a handicap and the it's the handicappers job to make it as even a contest as he possibly can through using the weights.

I am not exactly crazy seeing Buffering on 57 kilos, which now rises to 58, and remember, he is still yet to win a Group 1 and the filly has won two and we still have to give her 3 kilos!

It's going to be an enormous task for Buffering to give so much weight to some very good sprinters but if I have ever had a horse where the tag, 'courage' sits comfortably alongside, well it's our little bulldog, Buffering.

I want to give the connections of Buffering a bit of a plug too. Talk about good losers. How happy were the guys in the number two box after having had Buff miss one Group 1 in the BTC Cup and then run second with an interrupted preparation in the 10,000.

They should be given some plaudits for their attitude. It was a stressful period for them all, particularly as I guess a run in the 10,000 was not even confirmed until four or five days prior to the race.

It was great to see Scottie Chipperfield get to see 'The Buff' run live for the first time. He made a mad dash from Switzerland to arrive on the morning of the race. I know he got quite 'tired' by the end of the day or was that well into the next day? Must have been the jet lag!

That's about 3 Group 1 second placings for Buffering and three or four 3rd placing's at the highest level. I can't remember exactly as there have been so many, so if ever a horse deserved a top gong, it's this little guy!

I have no doubt it will come if we keep him healthy and sound and look after him by not over-racing him. I know the horse himself is building more and more respect every time he runs. It's been hard earned respect and thoroughly deserved.

I think that's the first time I have ever seen a horse I have trained actually get to the bottom of the fuel tank and use every last drop of juice to try to win! That's the effort he put in and Hugh said when he came back in that he even had the cheek to kick strongly when the tank was flashing empty.

The filly just had too good a run and the 4 kilos along with Buffs missed work was just too great a hurdle to overcome!

I see where the winning jockey later said he thought he was going to win by a couple of lengths, so good was his run and the feel his filly gave him, but Buffering just would not lie down …

How mean am I though. Buff had a tough run and he had to butter up the next morning with a visit from the dentist! It is essential that all horses have constant dental care to ensure they get full nourishment and benefit from their feed.

The race day was certainly a long one and a bit of an emotional rollercoaster as well.

There was a real sense of relief to actually get to the races with Buffering after the RQ vet cleared him to race at 7am, let alone the uncertainty of how he would cope with the hoof issue when he was under pressure … and the step up to the 1350 after not having raced for three-and-a-half weeks.

Volkhere winning the three-year-old race in the second sure did settle the butterflies a bit. He was only having his fourth race start so his effort to step up from his recent maiden win to the metro city level was full of merit and confirmed the very good opinion I have always had of the horse.

I have purposefully held this lad back as he’s been a bit of a slow maturer and the owners have been wonderfully patient. I do think Gary and Sandy will
reap the rewards of their patience … not that the penny is dropping with the big son of Dehere yet.

I was thinking of backing him up into the Guineas, but the mile three-year-old race on Sradbroke day is now my preferred option.

One of Saturdays highlights was the 'Excellent' win from Excellantes. Having raced his mother and now winning a stakes race with her son, well, it was a real sense of achievement for me personally.

It was a nice consolation prize after narrowly going down in the big one some 45 minutes earlier. It probably sent plenty of punters home on the right side of the ledger as well with the heavily backed favourite winning the get-out stakes!

It was another masterful ride from the young kiwi gun, James McDonald. James rides and carries himself with such a level of self-confidence that belies his experience and his years. He sure does have a huge future ahead of him in the saddle.

I had said to him prior to mounting, two out and two back is my preferred possie in the run, but you are on the best horse in the race so lead if you have to. He took them along at a reasonable tempo and slipped home in the fastest sectional of the whole day so nothing was going to run him down.

If I thought the day was done after the a few celebration drinks in the committee bar I was sadly mistaken. I got back to the stables and it was in full swing … about 30 or 40 friends/clients and guests had congregated to continue the celebrations!

Like I said in an earlier blog, the days can be long but it really is a labour of love … and the bevies seem to go down a bit easier with the warm glow of success!

Doomben has successfully played its part in the Queensland Winter Carnival, but it's now over the road to 'headquarters' for the next couple of weeks.

Saturdays Oaks day looks like being another cracker with capacity fields chock full of quality gallopers. Some great support races to the features so hopefully the weather continues to be kind to us. A bit of wet stuff predicted … that’s ok so long as it doesn't fall on race day!

We had about half-an-inch this morning. Slow, steady crap which made it an uncomfortable work morning. I really do hope there is not too much more as the Eagle Farm simply cannot cope too well these days with the wet stuff and big fields …. especially if it showers on Saturday after the races start.

My stable is going for four straight Saturday winning days, but I am not too confident this week. We have a number of runners with the shortest price being about $15 to 1 so we will only be hopeful at best. Still, you cannot win if they are home in their box!

A win would sure come as a pleasant surprise.

Until next week.

Cheers,
Robert

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