ROB'S SHOUT - I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE TO GO TO NEW ZEALAND FOR A BIT OF SUNSHINE

By Robert Heathcote | Thursday, January 31, 2013

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.

Hello once again….

Wow, it sure has been an amazing week-10 days or so of weather that we have once again experienced.

I was amazed we actually got to the races at Caloundra last Saturday after the deluge of rain the track copped. A huge pat on the back to all of the staff at the Sunny Coast club to get the program to the feature race when finally another big shower knocked the last two races on the program on the head.

What a shame the club’s stand-alone Saturday meeting had to endure the summer’s worst weather this wet season.

When the weather is fine, I have no doubt the track is one of the best in the state, but it also coped well with the rain it received.

Fair to say after a prolonged dry period we needed the rain but certainly not so much in such a short period of time.

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Congratulations to Lucky Luna and his connections for winning the feature race.

He showed he is an extremely good horse in the wet conditions although my mare, Fillydelphia, was very brave to only just go down with the hefty impost of 59 kilos on her back.

I was confident she would win on a good track as she is coming back to somewhere near her best form but unfortunately she is now paying the penalty of her consistency and her previous successes.

I was even planning sending her out for three or four days in the aqua walker and backing her up in the Listed 1200 this Saturday, but the floods put paid to that as, not only were the roads cut to get her out, even the training tracks were closed at Eagle Farm for the very first time I can remember.

I have now had to change her plans but I am also going to change her training and racing program to a degree as I think she is best suited to short racing preps of a couple of runs and then a short paddock break

She does have some wear and tear issues to a joint so this can help us overcome that problem. I still hope to have her racing at her best in the upcoming Winter Carnival which is not too far away.

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Racing Queensland have once again been proactive and added some races to the programming to assist trainers and connections who missed starts due to the ‘big wet’.

It can be difficult and near impossible to please everyone during turbulent times, but I am confident all is being done that can be done.

Experience has long taught me now to make do the best we can when disruptions like this occur.

We still managed to get the metro mid-week meeting in at Eagle Farm and the track came back to a slow 7 rating so again a good job from those responsible to produce a safe and fair racing surface.

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I have just spent the last four days in New Zealand at their Premier Yearling Sales at Karaka.

The weather sure didn’t spare our Qantas flight either last Sunday as it was delayed some 6 hours and the arrival into the Auckland hotel at 5am on Monday morning also saw some …. ‘inconvenience’!

Just as my wife and I were about to get some shut eye, the fire alarm went off and the whole hotel had to be evacuated. Apparently a gas bottle went off in the kitchen so plenty of drama and I hadn’t even seen a horse to this stage.

Anyway, we finally made it to the Karaka sales where there was plenty of excitement with Coolmore outbidding Peter Moody for the sale topper at a cool $1.975 million.

There were plenty of very nice horses and I think the NZ Bloodstock team were a little relieved to see the sale go very well.

I had a successful sale coming away with a couple of nice Darci Brahma yearlings and a lovely Keeper colt. My aim was to get some youngsters who I believe can be very competitive three-year-olds down the track and I am delighted with what I came away with.

If you are interested in getting a share, the details came be sourced on my own website under the horses available banner.

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I never thought I would have to get away from Brisbane and go to NZ for some sunshine but the weather was perfect and the hospitality of the Kiwis is always first class.

The Karaka sales for me are a bit of a long term project as I try to source horses who will get over a bit of ground.

Last year I picked up a Savabeel and Keeper yearling and they have now grown into a couple of crackers.

They have had several stints of training at Eagle Farm and I could not be any happier with them.

The Savabeel two-year-old’s full sister is already Group 1 placed and a Group 3 winner and her trainer, Graeme Rogerson reckons she is an exciting prospect.

It’s a real pleasure knowing I have Soriano’s younger brother at home and he is doing everything right. I guess it really brings home the old adage that patience is essential as we nurture these potential staying stars in their formative years.

I missed out on a few at the Karaka Select sale as the bids went above what I was prepared to pay but there are still a couple of our local sales coming up with the QBBS sale in mid Feb and then the QTIS Magic Millions sale where there will be an opportunity to get another yearling!

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There are several contentious issues about regarding our racing industry at present.

No doubt the return of the grass track to Toowoomba is the biggest. Personally I think it is the right thing to do as quite simply the cushion track ‘experiment’ has not worked and it’s been a massive cost to the industry.

Whilst it is a shame it’s happened,

I believe the right thing to do is to replace the cushion track with a new turf track and return Toowoomba to the great racing venue it has always been. Sure, there will be plenty of detractors but find me any decision in racing that pleases everyone.

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It is no doubt like that with the proposed changes to the draft fixture list which is causing plenty of angst for some clubs.

I have not seen the draft or fully understood what the major changes will be but I have read plenty from those opposed to it, but for sure there will always be those opposed to any changes and plenty for whatever changes are made.

I know I am in favour of the current administration making changes because they are necessary to stimulate the industry. I suppose only time will tell if indeed the correct decisions are made.

For so long most people have been saying ‘things can’t continue like this’. It has even been said that, even if we fall flat on our face, we have got to try something different because we are going backwards at the moment.

The solution to our woes will not be easy … little doubt about that but my confidence remains high that there is light at the end of the tunnel which in part explains why I and a few other local trainers like Liam, Tony and Brian also made the trip over to pick up some yearlings, find some existing clients to share in racing them and even bring new owners into the industry.

So Racing Queensland is trying something different.

There are never any guarantees, but maybe the change contained in the draft fixture list is worth a shot.

Regards,

Robert

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