Rob Heathcote pulls pin on Rothfire's WA campaign

Monday's King Of The Mountain $750000 slot race looks a two-horse match race between Rothfire and All That Pizzazz (pictured). Picture: Kevin Farmer Punters will wake up from a New Year's Eve hangover with an intriguing decision to make in a $750000 slot race on the first day of 2024. Group 1 champion Rothfire is the one to beat in the second…

Prince Of Boom is unlikely to back-up in next Saturday's $3m Stradbroke Handicap despite scoring a golden ticket into the race with a painless win in the Moreton Cup on Saturday. Trainer Rob Heathcote initially was set to launch a two-pronged attack on Queensland's most prestigious race but may now rely on Group 1 warrior Rothfire. However, there…

Rothfire fought off the challengers to win the Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm. Picture: Grant Peters-Trackside Photography Gun Sydney jockey Nash Rawiller helped to write another fairytale chapter in the extraordinary Rothfire story as the Group 1-winning gelding went bang in his own Eagle Farm backyard. Rothfire has staged several injury comebacks…

Connections of TABtouch-Gold Rush (1400m) winner The Astrologist want to get the star galloper back to Perth for April's Quokka (1200m) at Ascot. The Astrologist ensured he wouldn't leave Perth empty handed by winning Saturday's $1.5 million feature, following his unplaced effort in last month's Winterbottom Stakes (1200m). With the TABtouch-Gold…

James Cummings has plenty of respect for Saturday's The Gold Rush rival Kissonallforcheeks. Picture: Michael Klein Godolphin trainer James Cummings is having his best feature race season since joining the international racing superpower and he has his sights on more success this Saturday in Western Australia's new feature - the $1.5m The Gold Rush…

Queensland Group 1 winner Rothfire will not press on to the rich Gold Rush in Perth next month, with trainer Rob Heathcote confirming he has pulled the pin on his Western Australia campaign. Rothfire had been well supported in futures markets for the $1.5m Group 3 contest, but will be on a flight back to Queensland later this week following his…

Jamie Kah is without a ride in Perth's Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes after Blue Army galloper Vilana was scratched with a lameness issue on race morning. Vilana, the last start winner of the $1m The Hunter at Newcastle, had been the $5 favourite for the Winterbottom and one of two Godolphin runners. But Vilana was scratched on race morning after…

Red Can Man's hopes of Group 1 glory were dealt a blow when the Albany star drew barrier 17 for the $1.5 million Crown Perth Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) as Ascot on Saturday. The brilliant Steve Wolfe-prepared galloper will contest the feature race on day three of the Pinnacles carnival along with This'll Testya who carries the hopes of a large…

The Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot is the number one sprint race during Perth's summer carnival, and it attracts horses from the eastern states just about every year. The 2022 edition has drawn a full field of 16 runners who will compete for the $1.5 million prize pool, with the first horse over the line taking home $822000 for connections. Online…

It was all thumbs up for Brisbane trainer Rob Heathcote as he got the barrier draw he wanted for Rothfire in Saturday's G1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot. Rothfire drew a perfect three in Tuesday night's barrier draw and Heathcote believes it will give champion jockey Damien Oliver with plenty of options in the $1.5 million sprint. "That was…

Rothfire is the narrow Winterbottom favourite Queenslander Rothfire is the narrow favourite for Saturday's Group One Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot prior to Tuesday afternoon's barrier draw. A full field of 16 runners and one emergency have accepted for the $1.5 million sprint over 1200m. The field includes five interstate contenders, with the…

After winning million dollar The Hunter last weekend, Vilana has impressed Godolphin's traveling assistant Nacim Delmi on how the four-year-old has settled in since making the trip to Perth and a is highly likely to be a starter in the $1.5 million Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) on Saturday. "I'm very impressed with how Vilana travelled…

A Perth local, Oliver has ridden 127 Group 1 winners but just three have come in his home state, with wins in the 1992 WA Derby (now a Group 2), the 2009 Kingston Town Classic (now The Northerly) and more recently aboard Voodoo Lad in the 2018 Winterbottom Stakes. The Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) is again the race Oliver will be looking to…

Jockey Mark Zahra stands in the irons after winning the Melbourne Cup on Gold Trip. Picture: Getty Images Mark Zahra is unlikely to join fellow Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Damien Oliver among the riding ranks during the upcoming Perth carnival. Oliver will ride Queensland sprinter Rothfire in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot on…

Representing Ben and JD Hayes, the well-bred five-year-old has spent the past few weeks acclimatising in Perth ahead of his first-up assignment. Bought for $260000 by Shadwell Stud, Aysar headed west after finishing eighth to Cardinal Gem in the Weekend Hussler (1400m) at Caulfield two weeks ago. Two starts earlier the flashy chestnut scored an…

Trainer Robert Heathcote has some big spring armoury. Picture: Getty Images. Despite intense interest from a slot-holder in The Everest in recent times, Rob Heathcote has kept his eye on the prize of the Group 1 Manikato Stakes with comeback star Rothfire. But in the meantime, Heathcote is hoping he can get a change of luck with smart sprinter…

The Group 2 McEwen Stakes winner Rothfire is good to go for the Group 1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday night. "The horse has gone super," confirmed trainer Robert Heathcote. "I had planned to take him to The Valley on Monday, but it was a very heavy track … so I didn't. "I galloped him this morning at Flemington. Damien Lane rode him and…

Prince Of Boom can make amends at Caulfield on Saturday. Picture: Grant Peters-Trackside Photography While much attention was focused on Group 1-winning stablemate Rothfire in another race, Queensland trainer Rob Heathcote insists stablemate Prince Of Boom was a clear forgive run in his Melbourne debut. Group 2 winner Prince Of Boom started hard in…

Startantes will take the first step on the road to the Golden Eagle when she resumes at Rosehill With stable star Rothfire in Melbourne and Tattersall's Tiara winner Startantes in Sydney, Queensland trainer Rob Heathcote is preparing to rack up his frequent flyer points this spring. A week after being trackside to watch Rothfire win the McEwen…

Queensland rugby league legend Allan Langer in action. Picture: David Kapernick Rob Heathcote has likened Group 1 winner Startantes to pint-sized rugby league legend Allan "Alfie" Langer, as the diminutive equine pocket rocket embarks on a rich Sydney spring campaign starting Saturday. Last-start Group 1 Tatt's Tiara winner Startantes is the mare…

A small gesture made one Sydney spring morning has led Tommy Berry to an unexpected date with destiny aboard Rothfire in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap. During one of the Queenslander sprinter's Sydney trips, Berry walked past Rothfire's strapper at trackwork and offered to ride the Robert Heathcote-trained horse in a gallop, despite knowing…

The big corporate bookies have been huffing and puffing about Queensland's Point Of Consumption tax hike, but there is a fascinating spin-off which could change the face of racecourses in the Sunshine State. As part of the increased tax, the on-course exclusivity of Tabcorp is being released. It means the corporate bookies are free to negotiate…

In form Melbourne jockey Blake Shinn has been booked for the ride on Rothfire in his upcoming Group 1 engagement. Rothfire is set to contest the Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday for which he is the second favourite in latest markets. The Robert Heathcote-trained gelding has been plagued by injuries throughout his career after…