Damian Browne will be reunited with star Queensland sprinter Buffering for his autumn carnival campaign.
Buffering has been ridden at his past six starts by Hugh Bowman for Group Two wins in the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley and Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield as well as seconds in Brisbane’s Group One sprint double, the Doomben 10,000 and Stradbroke Handicap.
Buffering winning the Group 2 at Caulfield - photo by Race Horse Photos Australia (Steven Dowden)
Browne is no stranger to success aboard Buffering, having ridden the gelding to win the Group Three McEwen Stakes at Moonee Valley in September 2011.
Buffering impressed trainer Robert Heathcote when he won an 800 metre barrier trial at Eagle Farm last Tuesday on a heavy track when ridden by Browne.
“I was delighted with the way he went in the trial and in two weeks he’ll have another jump-out before he goes to Sydney,” Heathcote said.
“I’m as happy now as I could possibly be with the horse.”
Buffering’s return to racing will be in the Group One TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 13 which could feature Black Caviar.
Heathcote has altered Buffering’s training program after watching his Melbourne spring campaign unravel following his Moir and Schillaci wins.
“I think because he exerts himself so much in his first two runs each prep it’s taken the edge off him for the rest of his campaign,” he said.
“So what I’m doing this time is giving him two good solid trials, plenty of time off and plenty of lead-up work before his first up run.”
Buffering was given a long break by Heathcote after he ended his Melbourne campaign with a lacklustre eighth to Mental in the Group One Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 10.
“I thought long and hard about it and said to the owners `we’ve got a horse that’s won two million dollars. He owes us nothing’,” Heathcote said.
“We’ve got a five-year-old horse with the world at his feet. He can race for another four years if we look after him.”
All going well after the TJ Smith, Buffering will return to Brisbane for the winter carnival.
Heathcote will target the Group Two Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on April 27 before the Group One BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben on May 11 and the Group One Doomben 10,000 (1350m) at the same track a fortnight later.
