THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN - MUCH ANTICIPATED INTERNATIONAL TEST FOR BUFFERING

By Graham Potter | Sunday, December 7, 2014

Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the paper these columns are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily.

Queensland will have one of the two Australian representatives at the Sha Tin hosted Hong Kong International Raceday (HKIR) next Sunday in the form of the Robert Heathcote trained Buffering.

The question now is whether Buffering can emulate another Queenslander Falvelon who twice triumphed in the Hong Kong Sprint under the care of Danny Bougoure. Those victories came in Falvelon’s four and five-year-old campaigns, during which time he also completed the Doomben 10 000 double.

Buffering is making his attempt at international glory as a seven-year-old, which can have both an upside and a downside.

Whether he still has the means to combat the flair that some of his rivals are sure to bring to the table is a genuine concern but what Buffering does have is vast experience of racing against the best of opposition as well more than useful travel experience which will cushion the stress of flying and settling in to new surrounds in a far off country.

A brief, over-view comparison shows that Buffering has currently raced forty-five times for sixteen wins and seventeen places. In his entire career, which ended with one start as a six-year-old, Falvelon raced thirty-seven times for fifteen wins and thirteen places.

Clearly they are both outstanding racehorses.

To put Buffering’s particular credentials in further perspective, consider the following:

Buffering has enjoyed multiple Group 1 victories while winning in four states in Australia. Just three runs ago, in the Moir Stakes, he lowered the colours of Lankan Rupee, at the time the highest rated sprinter in the world.

Buffering’s wins prior to that came in a ‘hotspot’ when he landed a Group 1 treble in just thirty days when taking out the Manikato Stakes, the VRC Sprint Classic and the Winterbottom Stakes from October 25 to November 23 last year.

Buffering’s efforts in defeat have earned equal respect and, in a way, has actually given greater credence to his superior prowess.

Lancan Rupee, Sepoy, Sea Siren, Star Witness, Hay List are all top names brands who Buffering has traded punches with … and then, of course, there was the mighty Black Caviar.

Buffering, like everybody else, always had to take a back seat there, but he emerged from his three clashes with the unbeaten mare with immense credit.

So, yes, Buffering has rightfully earned his place on the Hong Kong stage as he follows in Falvelon’s footsteps.

It’s a big challenge, but the old saying applies, ‘if you have got a ticket, you have got a chance!’

As much as Buffering and his trainer are being challenged, Hong Kong will also be a new arena for the Sunshine Coast based champion jockey Damian Browne, Buffering’s regular pilot.

Browne has ridden Buffering in all of his last three preparations (fifteen starts). He and Buffering are so in-sync with each other that you will expect them to be able to give their best on the day (whether that is ultimately proves to be good enough or not) with the Queenslander’s cheering being led by those from the Sunshine Coast.

So remember to pull up and a chair in front of the TV next Sunday and watch the Queenslanders take on the world.

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