The Buffering and Spirit Of Boom camps have added spice to an already contentious debate about which of the star sprinters will be Queensland’s Horse of the Year.
The award is usually a one-horse race but this year an all star line-up will contest the title, announced in Brisbane on Saturday night.
It is a vote expected to be the closest since super sprinters Falvelon and Show A Heart shared the award in 2002.
Buffering and Spirit Of Boom head the list of contenders which also includes River Lad and Tinto, winners of the Stradbroke Handicap and Queensland Oaks respectively.
The Group One records of Buffering and Spirit Of Boom during 2013-14 were similar.
Buffering finished with three wins, a second and three thirds while Spirit Of Boom had two wins, three seconds and two fourths.
However, those statistics will not be the sole basis for voting, as Buffering’s trainer Rob Heathcote well knows.
He said he had grave doubts Buffering would retain the title he won last year.
“I am not knocking Spirit of Boom who has done a great job. But Buffering is third favourite to win the Australian Horse of the Year and Spirit Of Boom is $81 to win that award,” Heathcote said.
“But Spirit Of Boom is favourite to win the Queensland title. The judges here have a habit of voting for a horse which wins a Queensland Group One race and Spirit Of Boom did that.
However, Spirit Of Boom’s trainer Tony Gollan fired back, saying his horse would be a more than worthy winner.
“In no way would I belittle Buffering but I would love to see Spirit Of Boom win it,” he said.
“He was so consistent all season and don’t forget Buffering only won his third Group One (the Winterbottom Stakes) when we didn’t protest.
“I just hope when the vote is taken the number of Group One wins isn’t the deciding factor.”
