The Robert Heathcote trained Rothfire will be returning home to Queensland on Tuesday night and will then have a well-deserved break from racing.
The five-year-old son of Rothesay finished fifth, just 1.65 lengths off the winner Paulele in the Winterbottom at Ascot in Perth on Saturday … in what has become his trademark, highly creditable run, maintaining a performance level which is made all the more impressive by the fact that Rothfire has been putting in this shift after being away from race action for a year-long recovery period after suffering an injury that all but ended his career.
Rothfire’s road back to racing has been well documented and the racing chapter of his story that has followed only underlines his resilience.
At the time he suffered his serious injury in the Golden Rose, Rothfire had won seven of his eight previous starts, including ticking off that Group 1 box with a win in the J J Atkins.
Since his return for what was very much a second, delayed phase of his career, Rothfire has raced eleven times. His results there have included a win in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (which was a magical moment for his connections), a second, a third and a fourth place in Group 1 races in the Manikato, the Stradbroke and the Kingsford-Smith Cup respectively … and in only two out of those eleven starts did he finish worse than fifth place.
Just how far Rothfire might have gone had the major injury not occurred will never be known.
What is on record though is the great job that has been done by the horse, his trainer, and all of those who assisted with his recovery or who had any decision-making input into how his ‘comeback’ career has unfolded.
They have clearly all helped make the best of the challenges they faced.
They say Queenslanders are tough.
Rothfire represents that standard with some aplomb, and he will take a proud record of eight wins and three minor placings from only twenty starts … and a cool $1.8 million in prize-money … with him when he goes to the paddock for that well deserved rest.
