THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN: WHEN DREAMS ARE DASHED IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE

By Graham Potter | Saturday, October 3, 2020

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

It is a known fact that racehorse ownership can take you to the highest of highs and it can also send you crashing down to earth with dreams dashed in just the blink of an eye.

For the connections of the star Queensland three-year-old Rothfire, the $1 million Golden Rose last Saturday represented just such a transitional, tumultuous moment when, in a matter of strides, high expectation gave way to deep disappointment.

Rothfire, the shortest priced favourite in the history of the race, had led the Golden Rose field from the start. Early in the home straight he still seemed to be travelling well and there was a kick there but, inside the 200m mark, while still a couple of lengths clear of the chasing pack but starting to come under pressure, Rothfire took an unexpected sideways step to his left … and lost momentum.

It is now a matter of record that three runners of real quality in Ole Kirk, North Pacific and King’s Legacy swept past Rothfire, leaving him, on face value back, back in a disappointing fourth placing … but that didn’t tell anywhere near the full story.

In fact, it didn’t take long for disappointment to turn to despair as jockey Jim Byrne dismounted from Rothfire on the track and led his mount back to the unsaddling enclosure where he was found to be lame.

You would have thought that would have been enough of a bad day for his connections, but further examination showed that Rothfire has suffered a serious sesamoid injury, which possibly occurred when he took his sideways step. which required surgery,

The swift cycle of expectation to disappointment, to despair, to devastation was now complete and there is no true racing enthusiast who does not feel the hurt of Rothfire’s connections and also share in the loss for racing of what could have been such a lucrative and status building part of Rothfire’s career as, although the operation was a success, Rothfire racing future remains in doubt with him, at very least, to now spend extended period on the sidelines.

It has been well documented that Rothfire was originally an ‘unwanted’ yearling before trainer Robert Heathcote paid the $11 000 asking price. The Rothfire advertisement than sat on Heathcote’s website for seven months before, finally, shares were sold in the horse at ridiculously low prices by any racing standards.

Prior to last Saturday, the ride that Rothfire had taken those connections on had reached dizzying heights. He had won seven out of eight races. He had gone from being a Maiden to a Group 1 winner in just seven starts, in only seven-and-a-half months, and he had banked over $850 000 in prize-money … with the $580 000 first prize in the Golden Rose seemingly beckoning and a place in the $15 million The Everest, with its $6.2 million first prize, just one race away.

If he had finished first or second in the Golden Rose, Rothfire would have become an equine millionaire … but racing is no place for the ‘ifs’ and ‘buts.’

It is what it is … and, while the Rothfire story is just the latest unfortunate case highlighting the fact that you never know when you are well off in racing or how long the good times will last … at least his connections do have all of the positive moments of the past twelve months to be able to fondly reflect upon.

It might seem small compensation for now, but they are in the minority of owners to have experienced that absolute thrill that comes with owning an outstanding horse … even if they have had to pay the emotional price of the fall that comes from those heady heights which fortune turns its back on you.

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