Buffering was showing signs on Friday afternoon he was on the mend from a hoof injury boosting trainer Rob Heathcote’s hopes he could take his place in the BTC Cup.
The star Queenslander, who is favourite for Saturday’s Group One sprint, has been undergoing treatment for a stone bruise discovered following trackwork on Friday morning.
Heathcote’s private veterinarian Phillip Burguez gave Buffering a better than 50-50 chance of recovering in time to take his place in the field which has already lost the Joe Pride-trained Title due to signs of a respiratory infection.
Pride will now rely on Neeson to give him his second Group One in Queensland following his Doomben 10,000 victory with Red Oog in 2005.
Racing Queensland Limited veterinarian Dr Martin Lenz will examine Buffering on Saturday morning to determine if the four-year-old has recovered sufficiently to enable him to start in the BTC Cup (1200m).
“I’m buoyed with what’s happened since we found a hoof problem this morning,” Heathcote said.
“I gave him a long walk on a walking machine this afternoon and he seems fine.
“We’ve been soaking his hoof in epsom salts and I’m quietly confident he’ll be right.”
Fellow trainer Tony Noonan is prepared to sacrifice a Doomben 10,000 start and head straight into next month’s $1 million Stradbroke Handicap with Varenna Miss if the Victorian mare is successful in the BTC Cup.
Noonan is conscious of the mare’s broodmare value and won’t risk overtaxing the five-year-old who has a history of back problems which has restricted her career to 12 starts for five wins and two placings.
“She could well go to stud at the end of the season and she’s a very valuable broodmare right now,” Noonan said.
“She’s by Redoute’s Choice and her dam’s family is one of the best in the country so a Group One win before she retires would make her even more valuable.
“Last time she was in Brisbane she came off a tough preparation. She raced in Melbourne then went to Adelaide for the Robert Sangster then went up to Queensland.”
“She’s coming off a light preparation this time and she’s a year older and more mature now.
“Her form has been very consistent and she thrives in Queensland.”
Varenna Miss produced a strong first-up performance when a close fourth to Master Of Design in the Group One TJ Smith (1400m) at Randwick on April 14.
“I thought it was an excellent run and she was a little unlucky in the TJ Smith,” Noonan said.
“We’ve got the option of running her in the Doomben 10,000 or we can wait until the Stradbroke.
“She’s a big mare and if this routine of racing her a month between runs works in the BTC Cup we won’t change it and she’ll have her next run in the Stradbroke after Saturday.”
