ROB'S SHOUT - MY STRADBROKE EXPERIENCE AND PLAUDITS TO RQ FOR THEIR RESPONSE TO A SERIOUS MATTER

By Robert Heathcote | Thursday, June 13, 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.

‘The Stradbroke experience’ … kind of lends itself to the headline for my blog this week as that is exactly what the couple of weeks leading into the million dollar feature race was … AN EXPERIENCE.

I was a very proud man last Saturday and for several reasons. Proud of yet another enormously gutsy and courageous effort from our little bulldog, Buffering.

He was asked to lump the top weight of 58 kilos, conceding plenty of weight to a host of quality challengers including the gun three-year-olds and even some more seasoned and experienced ‘good’ horses such as the eventual winner in Linton!

Buffering has done an enormous job this preparation to race so well and consistently at the elite level and whilst he is yet to crack it at the highest level, he always does us proud with his effort. In fact, his past couple of years he has raced at the highest level so fair to say there are not many around with his level of consistency racing against the best around!

I had to laugh when one of Buff’s owners said he felt like he had won the Stradbroke on Wednesday when he drew a good gate. It was a good feeling for a few days knowing that Buff would get an easier run than last year’s Stradbroke! That’s what it’s all about though …. enjoying the ride!

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I was just as proud of Buffering’s owners as much as the horse for the way they coped with the defeat and the spontaneous applause they gave the horse and rider as he entered the runner-up’s stall.

It would have been easy to feel dejected and even a touch bitter to yet again be the ‘bridesmaid’ in another feature race.

That’s now five runner-ups in the big ones, two Straddie’s, a Doomben 10,000, a Patinack and the holy Grail of sprints, the Flemington Newmarket when Hay List got him in the last stride!

It’s something we, as Buffering’s connections, have come to terms with.

We are indeed extremely lucky and fortunate to have such a wonderful racehorse in Buffering who has already provided us with life-long memories and many wonderful thrills … not to mention the $2.5 million bucks he has already won so no, we don’t feel too unlucky to get beaten again.

The dream still lives on that he will achieve the coveted Group 1 win but if he doesn’t, he is still a Group 1 champion to all of us.

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What a freaky run the winner got though!

It was like the Racing Gods deemed it to be so and it will be a long time before we see another run like that in a feature race.

Full credit to John Sadler and his team for the tremendous job they did with Linton. Yep, he did get a fluky rails run and a dream ride from the jock but to be honest, he was too good for us on the day!

I don’t believe that Buffering gets a strong 1400 as well. Maybe with 53 or 54 kilos he can but not conceding so much weight. There have been some … as is usual in racing … critical of Damian’s ride on Buff when he rolled away from the fence.

That’s rubbish as he rated our horse perfectly and kicked strongly only to be denied by the equine equivalent of Maradona’s ‘hand of God’ effort to deny England the world Cup all those years ago!

I watched the race live down on the fence just passed the winning post and I was comfortable with the tempo that Damian kept. I watched intently as he started to let him slide at the 300 and I even started to get real excited with a hundred to go!

Then I saw that flash of grey coming along the rails … .and coming quickly. So quick in fact that I never really had time to savour the pending win and then the feeling was gone.

Ah well….there will always be next year!

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In fact, I am hoping that his next opportunity will come sooner than that.

The plan now is to spell Buffering and then prepare him for his defence of the Moir stakes he won last year at Moonee Valley in September. It was a Group 2 race then and this year it will be a Group 1.

I can feel it coming as Buffering has a sensational first up record, he copes well with the Valley and at Weight-For-Age, well, it evens things up a bit!

Still, the Racing Gods will get to decide if it’s time … we will just do our part in ensuring we have him in prime condition for the race.

I feel I should also mention the super run of Solzhenitsyn. The wide barrier draw meant he had to travel wide in the run and upon reflection Michael Rodd wishes he had stoked him up a bit earlier, but he really ran through the line hard which augers well for another big spring campaign in Melbourne.

He was also on the float out to Washpool Lodge on the Monday after the big day on Saturday and he will also have the four weeks off before we then prepare the big guns for the spring.

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Away from the Stradbroke now.

There is an issue which both concerns and affects me of which many might not be aware.

Several weeks ago the Queensland Racing Stewards conducted drug testing on most of the track riders at Eagle Farm. I imagine this is also done at most of the training centres around the state as it is done randomly at times throughout the year.

I had several of my staff test positive to banned substances. Shane and Emily were both feeling some flu symptoms and took some over the counter codral cold relief tablets.

It now seems they have contravened the rather strict Racing Queensland policy on this matter and Emily was stood down from riding for two weeks and she must now work on the ground whilst Shane, who is a fully qualified track rider with no other work options, was given the option of a two week suspension also or a fine of $500.00.

I would like to point out that it is my understanding that this situation where a track rider can be stood down from their livelihood through taking medications does not exist in Victoria or NSW and yet, here in Queensland, it appears to be very much in play.

Yes, riders who put themselves and others at risk through use of recreational drugs should be policed and punished but fair dinkum, Emily and Shane took two codrals! Ok to drive a motor vehicle to work and back but don’t ride a horse?

Another rider took Panadeine Forte and he has also been stood down and I am sure there will be many others with genuine reasons for testing positive.

I do not believe this is an acceptable situation and I also question who indeed pays the penalty in these cases. We as trainers lose riding staff and, in my instance, I agreed to pay Shane’s fine so I can get my horses worked.

I fully understand and appreciate the difficulty in formulating rules, but surely this is an example of one that needs to be re-visited.

The stewards are in a difficult position as there are rules and rules have to be policed, however I do think there needs to be some tweaking of these rules.

I see there is an ATA trainers association meeting next Monday and on the agenda is a discussion scheduled on Banned substances and Track Riders.

I hope some common sense can come out of it and a resolution can be found to this issue.



After personally trying to clarify this situation with authorities I have received a welcome update on this issue from the Chief Steward’s office which translates into great news.

A direction has been handed down from Board level that most of the recently imposed penalties have been put on hold and that an urgent review is about to take place on this very issue.

Now that is progress, both in terms of authorities being proactive as well as the speed with which they have addressed this matter. The Racing Queensland Board and the stewards panel are to be commended on that.

More later after the meeting on Monday.

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