Premier trainer Rob Heathcote was happy on two fronts at Eagle Farm on Wednesday following an impressive victory from Volkhere and a powerful exhibition gallop from star sprinter Buffering.
Buffering left Heathcote beaming following a 1000-metre gallop with stablemate Vacallo, a half-brother to multiple Group One winner and leading sire Show A Heart.
Less than an hour later, Volkhere lived up to Heathcote’s opinion with an easy 2-1/4-length win in the Mittys Maiden Handicap (1200m).
“He’s a very good horse in the making and he only needed time,” Heathcote said.
“He went shin-sore after he ran third in his debut last December and I think he’s got a very big future.”
The win, however, was not enough to take the gloss away from Buffering’s gallop.
Ridden by Jim Byrne, Buffering showed he was on target to defend his title in the Group Two Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday week with a decisive win over Vacallo.
The son of Mossman clocked a fraction over one minute for the 1000-metre dash, coming home the last 600 metres in 34.31 seconds on a slow track.
“The track was wetter than I expected but I was very pleased with his work,” Heathcote said.
“He’s coming along well and is on target to defend his title in the Victory Stakes.
“Jim said he couldn’t hold him any slower.
“I gave him a short break following his last run in the William Reid in Melbourne and he’ll have a solid gallop next Tuesday which should top him off nicely for his return in the Victory Stakes.”
Heathcote is aiming Buffering at the Group One BTC Cup (1200m) and the Group One Doomben 10,000 (1350m) next month.
Buffering, who is a December foal, has furnished into a much stronger sprinter as a four-year-old after mixing it with the country’s best sprinters in Melbourne.
He has been placed at his past four starts at the elite level in Melbourne and will attempt to give Heathcote his second Group One victory during the upcoming Brisbane winter carnival.
Buffering ended his spring campaign when finishing second to Black Caviar in the Group One Patinack Farm Classic at Flemington last November and since resuming has been placed in the Lightning Stakes, Newmarket Handicap and William Reid Stakes at his last run at Moonee Valley on March 23.
Heathcote is looking forward to the winter following confirmation wonder mare Black Caviar will be headed to Adelaide ahead of her campaign in England while Hay List is recovering from colic surgery.
Buffering has finished in the placings on three occasions behind Black Caviar in last year’s BTC Cup, Patinack Farm Classic and Lightning Stakes, both at Flemington, while Hay List narrowly beat him in last month’s Newmarket Handicap.
