At the heart of the Queensland thoroughbred industry sits the nursery of the Darling Downs. It has been the genesis of some of Australian racing's greatest fairytales, horses of the ilk of Bernborough and Gunsynd, but in the next month, Rothfire (Rothesay), the 'Thrilla From Chinchilla' could write the most remarkable chapter yet.
Toowoomba-bred Incentivise (Shamus Award) may promise the story of the spring, occupying a place on top of G1 Caulfield Cup and G1 Melbourne Cup markets after his victory in last Saturday's G1 Makybe Diva S., but Rothfire, foaled a couple of hours away up the Warrego Highway, could steal his spotlight should he win The Everest.
His journey to that race, and back from what seemed a career-ending sesamoid injury, begins at Randwick on Saturday in the G2 The Shorts, his first start since he broke down in the closing stages of the G1 Golden Rose S., 358 days prior.
Wally Gleeson
Trainer Robert Heathcote has nursed the 2020 JJ Atkins S. winner back to health and judging on his recent two trials, he is back to his sizzling best. He is ready to take on the best sprinters in the land, including Group 1 stars Nature Strip (Nicconi), Eduardo (Host {Chi}), Gytrash (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Masked Crusader (Toronado {Ire}), on Saturday.
For the Gleeson family, who bred Rothfire through their Gleeson Thoroughbreds Connections, the second coming of the star sprinter is something they hold great pride in.
The Gleeson family | Image courtesy of Wally Gleeson
Patriarch Wally Gleeson has seen many things as a horseman, from riding winners at Eagle Farm as an amateur rider at age 20, to playing polocrosse as well as a long career as a breaker, owner and trainer, but this Rothfire story is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, according to his son Simon.
"It's a big thrill for a person like my old man. He's a real true horseman. He spends so much time with the horses from birth right through to yearling stage," Simon Gleeson told TDN AusNZ.
"He's very particular on type and very particular on education. There's a lot in how they are brought up, what country they come off and how they are educated."
The Gleeson education
What Rothfire's initial success confirmed for the Gleesons, and Wally in particular, is that talent can emerge from anywhere given the right basis to grow. What his comeback has proven is the importance of temperament in getting an injured horse back to his best. The groundwork for that was back when Wally was working with Rothfire as a young horse.
Rothfire
While the Gleesons sold Rothfire for $10,000 as a yearling to Robert Heathcote - a price the trainer famously paid twice due to an internet scam - his return to the track is another moment of pride.
"We are very excited to see him back. It is a bit of a miracle. If you saw the size of the chips that were taken out of his legs, you'd think, how the hell could he come back and race at that level?" Simon Gleeson said.
"He's had those two trials, and I know they are different to race conditions, but they have been so impressive and the times he has run have been quick too."
"If you saw the size of the chips that were taken out of his legs, you'd think, how the hell could he come back and race at that level?" - Simon Gleeson
The impression Rothfire has made in the build-up to his return can be measured by the fact that slotholder James Kennedy has already locked him in as his runner for The Everest, promising him a shot at the race he was cruelly denied of last year because of his injury.
"It seems a bit of a fairytale, the way it has all happened from the start to what it is now. It feels like a script has been written for him," Gleeson said.
"We are pretty happy that he is in The Everest and hope that he can get the job done for the owners. He looks such a beautiful horse now. He's muscled up. He's pretty exciting and we are all looking forward to this Saturday."
Darlings of the Downs
That Incentivise, bred by Steve Tregea from his Windermere Stud, has emerged at the same time as Rothfire is embarking on his comeback, just adds to the story, according to Gleeson.
"It's great for Queensland breeding. Both these horses are off the Darling Downs. We are in the western Darling Downs and Incentivise is from the heart," he said.
"It's good horse country. It's the same country that Bernborough came off and Gunsynd and all those good horses in the past.
"It's good horse country. It's the same country that Bernborough came off and Gunsynd and all those good horses in the past." - Simon Gleeson
"It's great to see those horses go down there and mix it with the best. Incentivise's win there last week in that Group 1 was outstanding."
The family connection
While Rothfire's dam Huss On Fire (NZ) (Hussonet {USA}) died in 2018, the Gleesons still hold a connection to his family through his sister, Smokin' Hussay, who is part of their 15-strong broodmare band on the Chinchilla farm.
Smokin' Hussay
She recently foaled a Pierata colt, described as a 'really good type' by Gleeson, and is headed to Vinery Stud's Ole Kirk this season.
"It's funny because Rothfire beat him in the Run to the Rose, and he came out to win the Golden Rose and Caulfield Guineas. That's a good match up for her," he said.
A half-sister, Fiery Hussy (Sizzling), was sold through the Magic Millions Broodmare Sale this year to Kingstar Farm for $75,000 in foal to Yes Yes Yes, but her first foal, a now yearling colt by Flying Artie, is on the Gleesons' farm.
"He's a nice horse. He's got a bit of growing to do and he looks like if everything works well with him, we can get him through to the Magic Millions in January," he said.
"With the way the Flying Arties are going and if Rothfire can keep going, he should sell well."
Kingstar's double hand
Kingstar Farm actually have two half-sisters to Rothfire, with Arson Annie (Nothing To Lose {USA}) also part of their broodmare band.
Arson Annie
"Matthew (Sandblom) and I had a pretty high regard for Rothfire, and we bought Arson Annie before he had his injury," Kingstar Farm's Manager Adam Cook said.
She was purchased for $42,000 through the 2020 Magic Millions Broodmare Sale from the Blue Sky Premium Consignment.
"We thought it was a good price and standing Unite And Conquer in his first season, she was a nice outcross for him," Cook said.
Like Rothfire's sire Rothesay, Unite And Conquer, a son of Hinchinbrook, is a Fastnet Rock-line stallion. Arson Annie is due to foal next week and will head to North Pacific at Newgate this year.
Fiery Hussy is set to foal to Yes Yes Yes in October and will then visit Newgate resident Brutal (NZ).
"She's probably a better type than Arson Annie, but quite similar and a bit younger. We had her earmarked for one to look at at the sales and we worked out that given she was in foal to Yes Yes Yes, that price, with the added service fee, was similar to what we paid for her half-sister," Cook said.
"We thought it was a good buy with Fiery Hussy. Both mares have got Hussonet in them. She's by Sizzling and will go to Brutal."
"We thought it was a good buy with Fiery Hussy. Both mares have got Hussonet in them. She's by Sizzling and will go to Brutal." - Adam Cook
Cook said that he feels that the family could be worth a lot more should Rothfire recapture his best this spring.
"We have got 50 per cent of his sisters and so we follow him very closely, and reading all the reports, it seems Robert (Heathcote) says he is in the clear," he said.
"If he wins The Everest how much are his sisters worth? It happens a lot whenever Matthew buys a mare, and suddenly the family improved and it turns out a very smart purchase."
The search for the next Rothfire
Back at the Gleesons, Rothfire's success hasn't changed the way Wally goes about his work, apart from aiming a little higher when it comes to matings for their mares this year.
"We are sending 15 mares to go off to stud this year and seven of those mares are going to Group 1-winning stallions," Simon said.
"It's probably the best lot of yearlings we have ever had. There are some really nice horses among them and we are very pleased with where they are at." - Simon Gleeson
"We've got 13 yearlings to sell coming up at the sales. It's probably the best lot of yearlings we have ever had. There are some really nice horses among them and we are very pleased with where they are at."
Simon admits, both his dad, Wally, and his mum, Jill, pay a little more attention to the babies now, thinking that another Rothfire might be running about in the paddocks.
Simon Gleeson
"My mum walks every morning down our road, which is over 1km long and she always walks past the yearling paddocks. Rothfire used to came up to her every morning when she walked through there. She said had she had known, she would have kept him," he said.
"She takes a bit more notice now of the ones that come up to her. She wonders if there's another Rothfire there."
