The Eagle Farm trainer is preparing his G1 JJ Atkins S. winner for his 3-year-old return in the G2 Run To The Rose ahead of the G1 Golden Rose S. and a potential berth in the $15 million The Everest.
Heathcote is drawing confidence from his across-state experiences with his multiple Group 1-winning sprinter Buffering (Mossman) as he prepares to take on all-comers with the versatile and well-mannered Rothfire.
“He can jump and lead or take a sit, he’s won over a 1000 metres and 1400 metres. What is so special about him, and Buffering had the same quality, is he is so calm and relaxed about everything,” he said.
“In his trackwork, around the stable and pre-race, his demeanour is faultless and he just gets on with the job.”
Jim Byrne
Rothfire has been ridden in four of his six wins by Jimmy Byrne, who will be making sacrifices to continue his association with the 3-year-old.
“Jimmy will go into quarantine and stay in New South Wales to stick with him. He’s the leading rider in Queensland so he is giving up a lot to stay with him, that’s for sure,” Heathcote said.
“He’s the leading rider in Queensland so he is giving up a lot to stay with him, that’s for sure.” – Rob Heathcote
With regard to The Everest, Heathcote is expecting interested parties to be making early plays.
“It’s going to come down to the Run To The Rose on the September 12 and that’s obviously going to whet the appetite of the slot holders,” he said.
“Then two weeks later it’s the Golden Rose and I wouldn’t be surprised this year if the first two or three placegetters in the Golden Rose get picked up for The Everest.”
But first and foremost, it’s the two age group events that are the focus.
“There are five Group 1s for the 2-year-olds held in Australia every season. Farnan won the Golden Slipper, King’s Legacy won the Sires’ Produce and the Champagne, Tagaloa won the Blue Diamond and Rothfire won the JJ Atkins so they are all probably going to be there,” Heathcote said.
“It reminds me of back in the day when Nothin Leica Dane, Saintly and Filante were three cracking 3-year-olds all in the one season.”
Up to the task
Weighing up the form of Rothfire against the other leading 3-year-olds in the country isn’t easy, but Heathcote believes his charge is up to the task.
“Where I get my most confidence from is the way he won the JJ Atkins. There was a Sydney horse there called Macroura. She’d had three starts for three wins, including a stakes race, and he handled her quite comfortably,” he said.
“Where I get my most confidence from is the way he won the JJ Atkins.” – Rob Heathcote
“How he is going to measure up against the likes of Farnan and Doubtland and North Pacific we’ll see - when you have the Hawkes stable saying they’ve got two very special ones you have to respect that.
“But I do know Rothfire is very, very good. It’s always good to have a quality metropolitan horse, but when you have a Group 1 horse they’re so special, they are hard to find.
“I’m looking forward to the spring, even though I will probably be stuck in Brisbane. I’m a realist as well, I’ve been there before.
“We have to just make sure he stays sound and healthy, they’re only one step away from a problem.”
Watch: Rothfire trial
Rothfire began his spring campaign in earnest recently with a dominant trial win at Doomben and will return there for another trial next week before heading to Sydney.
“He’s fantastic and had a little blow afterwards and I expected that. I’ve still got time on my side and he was always going to have a soft first-up trial,” Heathcote said.
“He’ll have another one and we’ll be putting it to him a bit more and then it will be two weeks on to the Run To The Rose and he’ll be ready.”
