ROB'S SHOUT - WHAT A DIFFERENCE A WEEK CAN MAKE
By Robert Heathcote | Thursday, May 23, 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, workload permitting.
Hello once again,
Yes, it is amazing what a difference a week can make!
Last week the blog headline was “Happy to put a tough week behind me’ and well, we did that with Solzhenitsyn and Funtantes bringing up a stable double on a big carnival race day and then we backed those results up with another stable double on the Sunday at Caloundra.
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Funtantes has brought her connections an enormous amount of joy … from her winning debut run as a two-year-old when she broke a 12 year old class record to last Saturdays win.
She thrilled us with her Group 2 win in the Champagne Stakes as a two-year-old and she is still thrilling us as a rising 7 year old mare.
Her group win as a two-year-old has pretty much meant she has carried big weights throughout her career so it made some sense claiming a couple of kilos off with Priscilla’s Schmidt’s claim.
Priscilla gave us a little gem of a ride and she put Funtantes into the right spot at the right time and when she pressed the ‘go’ button at the top of the straight, our bonnie mare shot clear for a top win.
Winning on any race day is a thrill but even more so on the big days. Talking about a thrill though, Priscilla had a beaming smile on her face when she came back into scale and why not? It sure is great for the apprentices to win on the big race-days!
Priscilla is sure to have a successful career as a jockey and an even brighter future in the media later on!
Funtantes has come out of the race in great order with her next assignment being the Listed Bright Shadow on Oaks day, the 1st June.
That looks an ideal race for her even though she will get her share of weight and it’s a non-claiming race so one of the senior boys will more than likely take over from Priscilla!
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It was an enormous feeling of satisfaction when Solzhenitsyn just out-lasted Transporter to win the Group 3 Lord Mayors Cup.
Satisfaction and a fair bit of relief to be honest as we missed the pay up for the Cup, as did the runner-ups team, so this was a nice consolation prize for the owners of ‘The Big Russian’!
The wet tracks he encountered in Sydney culminating in his scratching from the Doncaster and then missing the Cup was another hiccup so the owner’s cheque here is sure to make them feel better.
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It was a very exciting race between the two ‘Cup discards’ which turned out to be the classic match-race with little to separate them the entire length of the straight.
That was the Solzhenitsyn’s second Lord Mayors Cup success and winning owner Paul Willetts said the trophy will ‘balance up the mantelpiece nicely’!
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk is a passionate racing man and breeder and a ‘part time auctioneer’ (yes I did buy a horse from him at the BB sale) and he gets a big thumbs up from many of us in racing for the job he is doing in the mayoral office.
Solzhenitsyn has done a good job to freshen up for the mile after the Hollindale but he now has to come back for the 1400m of the Stradbroke. I have sent him to Washpool Lodge for the week for some freshening work in the aqua walker and a bit of sun on his back during the day.
He is fit and hard and I am more than happy to have him take his place in the Straddie!
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I am of course hoping to have a duel hand in the State’s Blue Riband sprint, but first there’s the small matter of the Doomben 10,000 to get through this coming Saturday for Buffering.
Buffering’s image was severely dented with his run in the BTC Cup but I am happy to let that one go through to the keeper as I am sure he can bounce back to his best in this race.
Not much went right in that race for Buff but, with the likelihood of a better track on Saturday, I reckon he can bounce back.
His track work gallop on Tuesday was first class and Damian got off him and said he feels as good as ever.
The horse will have to be right up there with his best form as this is a very competitive Group 1 and you could not be anything but impressed with Your Song’s dominant win in the BTC Cup.
The Anthony Cummins soon to be sire looked very impressive in his workout because I clocked him. I also clocked Buffering in his work and I am happy to meet him again on Saturday in the 10,000.
My faith in Buffering remains unshaken in his quest for that elusive Group 1 win.
The barrier draw for the race has not done me any favours. I could say that for most of my week-end runners, but racing can be like that! I have checked the weather on-line about 50 times this week already … I reckon I might have a few more ‘looks’ before the week is out!
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I have been meaning to mention for some time the excellent job the ‘Clerks Of The Course’ do each and every race day.
They are themselves master horsemen and their assistance is invaluable to the jockeys and race day staff, especially when dealing with unruly horses.
Their roles often go unnoticed on race days but, I can assure you, their efforts are much appreciated. Having Bernie Cooper do the immediate post-race interviews for Sky Racing certainly adds a lot of excitement to the race days as well. Top stuff guys!
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Two weeks ago I was presented with saddle cloths with a non-slip saddle pad embedded into the number cloth.
They were used in the Darley BRC Sprint in which I saddled up Fire Up Fifi.
What an excellent idea. Sure to add to the safety for the rider and I am sure there have been many a punter rue the saddle slipping only to see their money go up in smoke.
A very good initiative indeed which should be taken up by all clubs!
Enjoy the racing this weekend and fingers crossed the weather isn’t too unkind to us again!
There is sure to be some exciting stuff.
Take care and, of course, good health.
Robert
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