ROB'S SHOUT - THIS WAS ABOUT AS GOOD AS IT GETS
By Robert Heathcote | Thursday, October 18, 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.
A Russian writer once wrote a famous book called 'A Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovitch'. It depicted the brutal life of a prisoner in the Russian Gulags of Siberia. The author of that book won the Nobel laureate for literature in about 1970. His name was Alexandr Solzhenitsyn. What a contrast his namesake has given me as a racehorse trainer. A day in the life of Robert Heathcote or to be more precise, an hour in the day.
Yes, Solzhenitsyn certainly elevated me to a place I did not know existed and it sure was an incredible thrill in my life as a horse trainer.
I am rapidly finding a real love affair with the Caulfield track as it was not so long ago that Woorim gave me my biggest thrill to date in racing when he scorched down the outside to win the Oakleigh Plate and provide me with my first and long awaited Group 1 win.
I went back to Caulfield last Saturday confident that our two lads would go well but to actually get a group winning double is stuff you only dream about.
Throw in my favourite little mare winning back home in Funtantes at Doomben and it certainly was an incredible day for us!
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I flew down to Melbourne on race day morning with my wife Vicky and a few of Buffering's owners and friends. We first went to the Flemington stables to see Excellantes and from there we made our way to Caulfield.
I am delighted with how well Excellantes has done and whilst he finished out of the cash at Flemington at his first-up run, I am confident he can rectify that second-up at the Valley on Manikato night in a more suitable race!
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Nervous on the day … yes, we were all nervous although with a horse like Buffering we knew he would again give his one hundred percent effort as he does each and every time he steps onto the race track.
There had been a few issues concerning Buff leading up to the Schillaci but, when I saw him, I knew Mel was right when she whispered to me after track work on the Tuesday morning that he felt spot on!
That work Tuesday was winning work and whilst hindsight is always easy, he was the best performed horse in the race and he only had to be in good order to take care of them.
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Buffering did just that in fine style thanks to another extremely well judged ride from one of the best in Hugh Bowman. Hugh is so confident in his own ability it seems to flow on through to the horse and he just keeps getting it right. I know he certainly generates confidence amongst the trainer and the owners.
Buffering had never taken the trail in a race and actually won, as pointed out by Greg Miles in the run, but Hugh had no problems allowing the leader to do all the work and he cruised up at the 300 to put the race beyond doubt.
I would have been disappointed had he not won but it sure was a very satisfying win after all the circumstances were taken into account.
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The Buff’s goal is clearly to win a Group 1 but, to be honest, it doesn't hurt picking up some serious cash along the way. $180k from the Moir backed up by another $130k in the Schillaci is nice coin to get him rock hard and at his top for the upcoming feature in the Manikato on Friday week.
Melissa rode him early in the week and was delighted how well he has pulled up from his last win so we are keen that he's headed to his grand finale at the absolute top of his game.
He is currently the $2.60 fav for the Group 1 Manikato and if ever a horse deserved a group 1 victory, it is this little bulldog.
But, there are never any favours given in this tough game so Buff will have to earn his colours to be even considered to have assumed the mantle of the country's top sprinter in the freak mare’s absence.
It's a little weird actually to have a horse in our care who is the short priced favourite for two of the nation's premier sprint races like the Manikato and the million dollar Patinack.
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Was that Buff's best win given the measured way in which he controlled the result in a testing 'away game' under a near perfect ride?
I actually think it was because he was always in control of the race and Hugh later said he was just so professional in all he did on the day from the way he paraded and how he went to the start and obviously his performance .
Different race of course, but what is my level of confidence now heading for the Manikato?
My enthusiasm isn't hard to contain as I still have vivid memories from when the little champ was a race day eve scratching from the Group 1 BTC Cup where he was also a short priced favourite so until he is actually in the barriers and about to jump, I will keep a lid on things.
Mind you Melissa's enthusiasm after his work this morning did put a smile on my face!
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No sooner had the celebrations from Buffs win eased, it was down to business again with the lead up to Solzhenitsyn’s race. Something about being in a Group 1 race … the thrill of competing at the highest level is really great! I was excited and confident our lad would acquit himself well and he was well weighted for the race.
Mel and I knew we had him right and I have long said this was one serious racehorse so it's an enormous personal thrill to have taken him to the top … from that first slashing sixth at Doomben in a Class 6 back in May last year to a Group 1 win.
I predicted then that this was a horse with a big future and whilst there have been a few speed bumps along the way, my judgement has been vindicated and I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved.
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Solzhenitsyn was purchased as a weanling by my good friend and ace bloodstock agent in New Zealand, Paul Willetts, who has a remarkable eye for a good horse and his record speaks volumes for his expertise and his success over the years.
The pleasure to win a Group 1 for Paul after the journey we have taken together is incalculable!
The owners of Big Solzhie have been fantastic in basically allowing me to totally train and program this horse as I saw fit.
At one stage I put him in the paddock after three consecutive wins and brought him back to set him for the Bernborough over the mile at Xmas time. He ran ordinary so I had no hesitation putting him straight out again so he never ran for a very lengthy period which in hindsight may have been an enormous blessing.
He then came back for the Winter Carnival where he really showed how much ability he did have.
After he'd strung some good wins together during our carnival, the temptation was strong to run him again after the Strawberry Road Listed win in the Tatts mile but the threat of a weight penalty won over and that, in hindsight could have won him a Group 1 where he got in with only the 52 kilos!
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It was great for Corey Brown to get the Group 1 monkey off his back as he had not ridden an elite winner for well over a year! I laughed when I first spoke to him after the win and he said "I owed you that one" which was in reference to his ride on Woorim in the Stradbroke a few years ago.
Not one of his best that day but I have forgiven him, even if Judy and Ross have not!
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I caused a chuckle when I walked past More Joyous and the big crowd who were watching Gai put the saddle on More Joyous prior to the race. I said to them, "here comes the winner … take a picture of Solzhie". A few actually saw the humour in my comment! Not sure if any of them heeded my advice?
I had paid Solzhenitsyn up for this year's Cox Plate but, after a discussion last week with Paul, we decided to abort that plan and concentrate on the original plan which is the Schweppes Crystal mile on Cox Plate day and then onto the Emirates Stakes which incidentally is a race that we should have won with Woorim in the past.
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The temptation to stay on in Melbourne and celebrate big time was huge. Fortunately common sense prevailed and we flew back home to Brisbane on the Saturday evening. Mind you, we did knock over a couple of nice reds in the Tullamarine lounge and on the flight home and do ya think we watched the race dvds a few times when we got home?
Two group winners and Funtantes winning at Doomben … and yes, Alexandr has a new title. An AWESOME day in the life a racehorse trainer.
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Caulfield cup day on Saturday … watch Gai bounce back! She has a knack of doing that.
Cheers.
Rob
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