BROWNIE'S BLOG: ROTHFIRE STEALS THE SHOW
By Damian Browne | Thursday, September 17, 2020
Rothfire was brilliant in the Run To The Rose on Saturday and, although so much has been said questioning Hugh Bowman’s tearaway ride on the $2.40 favourite Farnan, you can take nothing away from the winner. He was outstanding.
It has been three months since Rothfire’s Group 1 win in the T J Smith so, firstly, you always want to see how they come back from a break … and Rothfire obviously has come back at the top of his game and, in so doing, has shown that our Queensland form is measuring up down there so there are exciting times ahead for Rob (Heathcote) and the team.
Now that Rothfire has gone interstate and produced the same sort of form we have seen up here in Queensland, or better, he will now gather in a greater public following and more respect on a national basis as he well deserves. He was dominant … and that’s how you get everybody talking.
Rothfire already has a sizable fan-club in Queensland and I’m told there was a really big cheer at Doomben when he won.
That’s Queenslanders, I guess. Like in the State Of Origin, they like to go over the border and beat New South Wales or Victoria. You could play Tiddlywinks and the Queenslanders will be cheering if they win.
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As far as the Rothfire v Farnan situation goes, given the way the race panned out, I think the difference between them is not what we saw on Saturday. There is probably a lot closer margin between them then we saw in that result.
Who’s better? Rob (Heathcote) would say Rothfire and Gai (Waterhouse) would probably still say Farnan … and you wouldn’t expect any different from either one of them really.
I watched the race live and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing when I saw Hughie rolling along like that on Farnan. I can’t really comment because I don’t know what was going on in Hughie’s head.
I know he did drive the horse early because Rothfire beat him out by a length. I was expecting him to start taking a hold when he crossed to the front but, to my eye, it looked like he just continued to allow the horse to roll along.
By contrast it was a perfect ride by Jimmy Byrne on Rothfire.
Jimmy, of course, had enough faith in the horse to relocate to New South Wales for an extended period of time. He believed the horse would measure up down there. There is always a little bit of doubt until the horse actually does that … but that result is well and truly past the post now and Jimmy would have been as happy as anybody after Rothfire’s win knowing that his decision was warranted.
I’m just wondering … I’ll have to ask Rob … what happens if Rothfire wins The Everest?
Does that mean he is going to wipe out Buffering off the back of the horse-float and replace him with Rothfire?
Just asking for a friend.
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I thought Alligator Blood’s first-up run at Doomben on Saturday was terrific.
The Odyssey (who won the race) is no slouch. He is a nine-time winner with over $1 million in prize-money … so he is a pretty good horse and, at the weights, where he was 7kg better off with Alligator Blood, Alligator Blood was always going to have a job on his hands.
Also, obviously, Alligator Blood wouldn’t have been wound right up … being first-up with some very important assignments ahead … and, in any case, in my opinion, I think he probably is better when he gets to that 1400m or a mile anyway. (Saturday’s race was over 1100m).
That’s what it looked like he was looking for on Saturday and I think David Vandyke would have gone home happy with what he saw in terms of the horse’s performance.
It has now been confirmed that Alligator Blood will bypass The Everest (he had not been offered a slot in the race yet, but many slots are still available).
To be perfectly honest, and again it is only my opinion, I think the countries top sprinters would be too sharp for him. He got away with it before against age-group company but he is getting a year older now and I really think the 1400m / mile would be right up his alley … and the money on offer in the likes of the Golden Eagle (1500m) … and other races … it’s pretty good money to be racing for.
It is going to be very interesting watching Alligator Blood’s progress this campaign.
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The Stradbroke winner Tyzone didn’t make the headlines this week after finishing eighth in the Group 2 Theo Marks at Rosehill, but there were plenty of positives in the run.
Tyzone carried 58.5kg and finished by 3.10 lengths behind the winner Wild Planet who carried 4.5kg less than the Toby Edmonds trained runner. Tyzone was 2.70 lengths behind the second placed Funstar who carried 3.5kg less … so, put in that perspective, it was a gallant effort.
You can expect improvement on that run. He is going well enough. He has got the runs on the board. With a bit of luck, he can knock off one of those big races down there and you wouldn’t be surprised if he did.
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I have been asked what I thought of the State Government’s proposed revamp to the Queensland racing’s judicial system … and I have a simple answer.
I don’t think anything of it. I’m only interested in this sort of thing when a plan is confirmed and has officially gone through.
If you try to keep up with all of the rhetoric that goes backwards and forwards before that … which is often drawn out over a long period of time … well, it’s either too confusing for me or too boring. That part, when nothing has been finalised, is just too much for me and I don’t spend any time on it at all.
When something is signed and sealed, then it will get my attention and I’ll have an opinion on it.
That is why the latest proposed revamp means little to me ... until it happens!
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