ROB'S SHOUT - A 'BOILOVER' THAT WENT OUR WAY
By Robert Heathcote | Thursday, May 21, 2015
Robert Heathcote is one of the leading racehorse trainers in Brisbane. 'Rob's Shout', the personal blog of the multi-premiership and multi Group 1 winning trainer appears weekly, exclusively on HRO.
Alan Thomas called it a ‘boilover’ when Riva De Lago won last week’s Listed Glasshouse sprint at the Sunshine Coast.
At $47 bucks the win for my fella and knocking off the heavily backed favourite in Time For War, Thomo was pretty much on the mark.
Yes, there have been plenty saying this week that the favourite was unlucky and perhaps ‘should have won’! I agree his run was excellent after he got well softened up in the run by Grayson Square with Cassie Schmidt on board and fair to suggest that Jim may have gone for home on the fav just a shade early as the long Sunshine Coast straight is notorious for getting ‘em run down.
For us, the connections of Riva and my stable staff, it was not a boilover as we did expect him to race well, and yes, a few of us did have a few quid on him at the big odds.
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I was just so happy for Cameron Bennet and Luke Jamieson from Superior Horse Syndications.
They took a punt to purchase Riva De Lago ... as it always is to buy any horse out of a leading stable and from a very prominent owner ... and syndicated him out to a ‘new bunch’ of owners.
The lads recognised Riva as a potential good horse to race in Queensland and perhaps capable win a nice race. Perhaps the previous trainer and owner thought there was not much left in him and time to move him on?
The horse came to me mid-preparation which is never ideal for a new trainer. After a very encouraging first up run for the new stable his form tapered right off even though he was working well with a good level of enthusiasm.
I said to Cameron and the ‘new frustrated owners at the time’ that best we give him a break but please be patient as I still have faith in the horse and maybe we can get him back for the winter carnival.
Cameron said from that point, ‘I am a Sunshine Coast boy and I wanna win the Glasshouse’.
Well, we ticked that box off last Saturday and yes, it was an enormous level of satisfaction not just to get the old boy back to his best form but for Cam and Luke who ‘put it on the line’ and were rewarded.
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I found it a little sad when watching Racing Retro on Sunday morning when the ‘panel of experts’ were reviewing the race and some punters sent in some derogatory comments about the horse via twitter and the like.
Ok, he may have let punters down when he was in Sydney in the past and it’s been a long time since he has won a race and we do have some sympathy for them ... but not much after seeing the twitter comments.
He is a star for his new owners!
The horse was well known to me before he came into my care as he knocked me off in the Group 2 Theo Marks in Sydney back in 2013 when he relegated my good horse Solzhenitsyn into second place.
Funny how things work out though. That was in fact his last win until he won last Saturday in my care. It’s a strange world at times.
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I have watched the replay a number of times and yes, certainly hats off to Time For War.
His run was full of merit and he showed a high level of courage to kick again at the 200 after he had been well softened up. I reckon there is a good win in that horse down the track but any leader is always going to be vulnerable in a feature race.
Ask me as I have had Buffering taken on that many times I have lost count as he has attempted to lead all the way.
Just the way it is at times and part of the challenge of winning the feature races and Time For War will be taken on again down the track.
Bloody nice horse though!
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Luke Nolen, a lovely ride for us and the consummate professional.
I never have any doubts about giving Luke the sit on any of mine. Luke has won several feature races for me over the years during his visits ‘home’. Lovely guy too!
Funny with our top local jockeys all looking to get on the visiting horses and the local trainers happy to give rides to the visiting jockeys!
Catch and kill your own I think they call it.
No such thing as loyalty when the big bucks are on offer ... but nothing personal, just business!
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Where to now with the 2015 Glasshouse winner?
Ok, we have ticked off Cameron’s initial bucket list but still plenty of top racing awaits.
That win may indeed have qualified him for this year’s version of the Stradbroke. The Group 1, 1400 sprint is our state’s pinnacle race so to be eligible and gain a start is sure to be a real thrill to the connections.
We will assess Riva De Lago over the next week or two and then decide but the horse races best fresh and the 3 weeks into the Straddie could work.
There is no such thing as an easy Stradbroke but you cannot win it if you are not in it!
Mind you, it does cost a lot of money to run in the big one and little fish are sweet eh?
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Earlier in the week the executive and some members of the Australian Trainers Association (Qld) met with the new Racing Minister at his Government office in the city.
Barry Baldwin, Dan Meagher, Les Ross, Brian Wakefield, Tony Gollan, Rob Heathcote, Kelly Schweida and Cameron Partington had approximately 45 minutes with the Hon Bill Byrne to discuss racing in general and future plans etc for racing under the new government.
There was no breaking news announced by the minister with the McSporran report due to be handed to the minister in early June likely to be significant in any changes that may come about.
We found the Minister to be very measured and analytical in his responses to our questions, relying more on facts and evidence than on persuasion or political motivation, He did however emphasise that he gets poked and prodded by a fair few lobbyists in this industry.
The meeting was very successful in that it allowed a number of us trainers to get to know the minister and hear his views on where we are headed and some of his goals and opinions.
Personally I have to say I was quite impressed by his demeanour and his confident approach to his new portfolio and just as importantly his understanding of how important strong and viable metropolitan racing must be for the success of the whole state but understanding that it is a big state and all racing jurisdictions should be catered for fairly.
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The winter racing carnival is all about the good racing, the good horses, the top jocks and trainers from all over the country competing for the huge prize monies. It’s also about the fashions on the field and the glitz and glamor of it all.
With the new track build at Eagle Farm it has been a stressful time for many but it’s also important to embrace the carnival and what it means.
I have to give the gig for the best dressed track manager to the Brisbane Racing Clubs Sean Bridges. He looked every bit a fashion trendsetter and cheers to Sean for making all the staff look under dressed.
Good onya Sean!
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Doomben 10,000 day this Saturday and a feast of racing awaits.
My stable is lightly represented this week but I feel we can still make our presence felt with Hopfgarten and last start Listed winner Bewhatyouwannabe in the time honoured Lord Mayors Cup.
I have won this previously which was a thrill as the current Lord Mayor is an avid racing enthusiast and a good bloke to boot!
Excellantes usually runs an honest race but he needs a good track and Dream Of Slips is being tested for the first time at stakes level. A big jump but he is a nice horse in the making.
If it’s not any of mine winning on Saturday, let’s cheer on the other local horses for a win but yes, damn tough to knock off the visitors with their strong army of quality horses!
Robert
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