ROB'S SHOUT: I WAS CHUFFED TO WIN A BIG ONE AT HOME WITH BUFF. NO GROUP 1, BUT IT SURE FELT LIKE IT
By Robert Heathcote | Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Multiple premiership winning trainer Robert Heathcote continued the ride of his life when his champion racehorse Buffering won another $1 million race at the Gold Coast on Saturday. It has been a phenomenal season so far for Buffering, particularly in the light of the career threatening injury he suffered last year. Here you can follow, step by step, the route Buffering has taken from that injury setback to spectacular success through the eyes of trainer Rob Heathcote in this personal blog, Rob’s Shout, which appears exclusively on HRO.
Yes, Buffering may well have run his last race in Australia and most likely in Queensland.
I certainly hope not but the reality is that he is 8 years old and rising 9 and we are about to embark on an ambitious overseas journey which will take in the Dubai World Cup and then onto Hong Kong again for the Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint in May.
It was back in March last year that Buffering suffered a leg injury in a track gallop at Doomben which we thought may have brought down the curtain on his amazing career.
What an extraordinary journey he has taken us on since then and I don’t think anyone could have predicted what in fact did lie ahead for him.
The injury meant that he had to have a long spell whilst I tried to remain optimistic assuring his band of owners the extended break may indeed extend his career.
That was the eternal optimist in me which you have to be to a degree in this industry to be successful. If you let all the negatives wear you down you simply would not get up at 3am each and every day!
The reality though was it was always going to be hard for the rising 8 year old Buffering to come back from a fetlock injury ligament tear.
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After his downtime Buffering was introduced to light exercise utilising the water walker at Washpool Lodge which was a huge benefit in trimming some weight off him and increasing his fitness without loading his legs.
All up he was away from my stables for just over four months and then began the journey to see if we could get him back sound, healthy and competitive once again.
I had given myself about twelve weeks to get him right for the defence of his Group 1 Moir stakes at Mooney Valley in late September.
All was going along nicely with his training regime considering the disruption to the training facilities at Eagle Farm and Doomben.
We did the best we could and credit to the BRC who were very accommodating to me after the prickly situation when the champ suffered his original injury by not permitting me to use the preferred training track.
That’s all history now and I can openly state that the metro club has done an excellent job getting us through this very difficult track/tunnel rebuilding period.
OK, it is still not over but yeah, we can see the light at the end of the tunnels!
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It was the beginning of September and Buffering was ready for his first competitive grass jump out!
The first real serious test to see if he was over his injury.
He won the jump out as expected but Damian (Browne) reported there was no wow factor and he pulled up huge so out went the plan to give him only the one jump out before the 1000m dash around Moonee Valley.
I guess I had been unwittingly too soft on him after his leg injury which was understandable.
I had a few sleepless nights contemplating the next move so I decided to give him another more serious hit out and also put his blinkers on in another grass jump out.
That did the trick as he bolted in and Brownie came in and said ... yep, that’s the Buff I know and more importantly he came through it in great order so it was all systems go to Melbourne.
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It’s history now how he flew the gates at the Valley and led all the way to record an unprecedented third Moir Stakes win and in the process expose the wraps on the flying 3 years olds who were favoured to beat him.
The win was no more special than any of Buffs previous wins but it was an enormous sense of relief to not only get him back sound and healthy ... and to win another Group 1 on his favourite track was incredibly exciting.
The wee champ then went onto run a couple of brave races in the Manikato, where he was given no peace in front, and in the Darley Sprint, where he sure did get the blood pumping up the famous straight six when he was in front of Chatauqua, Terravista and Delectation with 60m to go.
His run up the straight two weeks after being totally gassed in the Manikato just exemplified the courage and resilience this amazing horse has!
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Buffering’s recovery powers have to be seen to be believed and within days he was bouncing again so it was off to Perth again for another crack at the Winterbottom.
This version was now worth 1 million bucks. Even before we went back to Perth it was always the plan to have Buffering race in the Magic Millions QTIS race, but only if all was well with the horse!
The Perth Jockey club and the Crowne Casino afforded us incredible hospitality and their carnival sure does leave us with wonderful memories of Perth.
Sure helps that Buffering has won two Winterbottom’s now but, as he was smashed from $8 bucks into the $2.30 favourite, I reckon there were plenty of punters happy with his win as well as us connections!
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Ok, so had already has achieved far more than we could possibly have dreamed off after his injury lay off and now it was a matter of taking the flight back to Melbourne and then the onward flight back up to Brisbane.
He handled the flights brilliantly and then he enjoyed some down time back at Washpool.
I could afford to give him two weeks off and then it was back into it at Eagle Farm to fine tune him for the big Magic Millions race day some five weeks later.
I didn’t really commit at any stage to the Gold Coast race until I knew he was back home sound, healthy and well after his long trip.
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This presented another challenge for us to have him at or near his peak for another million dollar race ... the fifth time since the end of September.
I elected not to trial Buffering even though it was seven weeks between his Winterbottom win to the MM race day! I instead gave him a couple of exhibition gallops at Doomben which I felt was enough to have him right.
I knew he would be asked to carry 61kg under the conditions of the race and he had never won past the 1200m but his two seconds in the Stradbroke with 58kg on his back countered that argument.
Come race day I do have to admit to having plenty of nerves and I can sure understand the pressures Peter Moody was constantly under with Black Caviar.
But like Pete often said, I would rather the pressures be mine than someone else’s!
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It always helps having the calmness of Damian on top as nothing seems to fluster him. He is Mr ice Cool on what was a hot day and I have always found it comforting for my confidence having Brownie on top.
The words of David Hayes often ring in my ears when it comes to Buffering as any race nears!
He said it too me in Hong Kong, when Buffering got the foot abscess four days out from the big International sprint and I was worried about missing track work going into the race, David said to me ... “learn to trust your horse.”
It is so true and that is exactly what I have done since with Buffering’s training.
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Buffering did what he needed to do as a 4’s on favourite should in the Magic Millions race, but gee the run of David Murphy’s horse, Mister Booze was huge and Pat Duffs Steel Zip’s run was enormous after getting caught deep.
I am sure they went home feeling extremely happy as we ( Buff’s connections) used to do after placing behind the likes of Black Caviar and Haylist on a number of occasions.
Buff may not have been exhilarating in his win, but they zipped home in 33 something and with 61 on his back Damian looked after his old mate in the run to the line and there is a nice cheque coming in the post.
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I was quite overwhelmed and chuffed with the emotion of winning a big race at ‘home’ with Buffering in front of so many of his fans!
OK, it was not a genuine Group 1 but it sure felt like one and it certainly paid like one!
For now, Buffs gone back to Washpool Lodge for a few weeks of R & R doing nothing.
Some sun on his back, some ‘chilling by the pool’ and then it will be back into some light exercise.
He will have a month taking it easy and then will return to Eagle Farm as we prepare to take him to the big Show in Dubai!
The Dubai World Cup ... that’s been on the bucket list for a long time so this incredible journey Buff has taken us on may go on for a bit longer yet!
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