Heathcote purchased a Just Awesome filly at the 2000 Magic Millions Super Qtis Yearling Sale for $18,000 and as Cantantes she enjoyed moderate success, but as a broodmare she set something special in motion.
It’s a family that Heathcote is still breeding from with Cantantes’ granddaughter Startantes (Star Turn) now taking centre stage and on Saturday she will take aim at the G1 Darley Flight S. at Randwick.
“I started training back in 2000 and Cantantes wasn’t a super racehorse, she won a couple but gee, she has given me some lovely horses,” Heathcote said.
“She has provided a huge number of winners through her offspring and the good horses keep on coming. It’s just been a wonderful family.”
“She (Cantantes) has provided a huge number of winners through her offspring and the good horses keep on coming.” – Rob Heathcote
Ten of Cantantes’ foals were successful and included Startantes’ dam Funtantes (Easy Rocking), successful in the G2 Champagne Classic, and the dual Listed winner Excellantes (Falvelon), with the mare’s progeny winning 48 races between them for Heathcote.
Funtantes
Funtantes’ first live foal Ziemba (Rothesay) won five races and Startantes is her second to the races and has also been successful five times.
“I can see the mare’s Russian Revolution filly in the stable from my office and she looks like Funtantes’ twin sister, she’s a lovely type,” Heathcote said. “We’ve got a cracking Spirit Of Boom colt as well.”
“I can see the mare’s Russian Revolution filly in the stable from my office and she looks like Funtantes’ twin sister, she’s a lovely type.” – Rob Heathcote
All good things must come to an end though, and sadly Funtantes isn’t in the best of health.
“She’s got a Rothesay colt inside of her, but she’s going to struggle to deliver. She’s had leg issues and her future isn’t looking good, but she’s done a wonderful job,” Heathcote said. “She was a super racehorse as well and won over $700,000.”
Startantes completed a hat-trick of wins at Doomben before she took on a high-class lineup in the G1 Golden Rose S. and produced an effort full of merit.
“She didn’t surprise us and that’s the reason that we, as an ownership group, paid the $37,500 late entry fee to run her. While she only ran sixth, it was probably the best sixth I’ve had as a trainer,” Heathcote said.
“They were the best colts and she was disadvantaged by a poor barrier, which meant she had to go back, and the track favoured the frontrunners.
“She was hugely brave, full of courage and she came through it in good order. On the advice of some learned form students, we decided to pay up yet another late entry ($22,000) and have a crack at the G1 Flight S., for which she has been installed favourite.”
Premiere contender
Heathcote will also be represented at Randwick by Rothfire (Rothesay) in the G2 ACY Securities Premiere S.
Rothfire returned from serious injury to finish fourth behind Eduardo (Host {Chi}) in the G2 The Shorts a fortnight ago and will represent slotholder Kennedy Racing in the $15 million The TAB Everest.
Rothfire
“I was thrilled with his run, we were desperately unlucky that the rain came when it did. The track went from a Good 4 bordering on a Heavy 8,” Heathcote said.
“To run about 3l off the best sprinters in the land and to do it after a year off with a catastrophic orthopaedic injury was quite extraordinary.”
Rothfire was a brilliant 2-year-old who won six of his seven starts, including the G1 JJ Atkins S. and last season won the G2 Run to the Rose S. before he fractured a sesamoid when fourth in the G1 Golden Rose S.
