It is a journey closing in on a conclusion, but the now nine-year-old Rothfire is still providing his connections with the thrill of feature race combat at the elite level … and not just through participation, but with a genuine chance of giving his younger opponents some real cheek.
That will be the case when the Robert Heathcote trained gelding lines up in the Group 1 Weight-For-Age Manikato Stakes at Caulfield on Sunday, a race in which the son of Rothesay is due to take on twelve rivals, six of which are less than half of his age.
As such, task remains a massive undertaking for Rothfire at this stage of his career, but the Doomben 10 000 result, four months ago, stands as a clear warning to those inclined to right off the ‘old boy’ too early.
Rothfire won that $1.5 million Group 1 contest at a starting price of $61.
In his previous win, in the $2 million Group 3 Sydney Stakes, Rothfire also saluted at double figure odds ($13), so he has no problem in defying the odds on the track, just as he did off the track when overcoming a career threatening injury when struck him down in the prime of his three-year-old campaign.
The Doomben 10 000 was Rothfire’s second Group 1 win, and it came a full six years after he first struck gold at the elite level, which might well have established some Group 1 winning timeframe record.
Brad Rawiller, who partnered Rothfire to that famous Queensland victory in the Doomben 10 000 retains the ride in the Manikato Stakes, just as he did in Rothfire’s last start in the Group 1 Moir Stakes over 1000m in which he finished unplaced, 3.85 lengths behind the winner My Gladiola.
Fitter for that first-up run in the Moir, which came after an almost six month break from race action … Rothfire will also benefit from the step up to 1200m on Sunday and he does boast a record of six wins from fourteen attempts second-up … but there will be no shortage of opposition planning to make him feel his age.
Chief of those will be the sprightly four-year-old … the Chris Waller trained, Godolphin owned Beiwacht who will be bidding for his third successive Group 1 success after taking out the All Aged Stakes and the Memsie Stakes … at Randwick and Caulfield respectively, both over 1400m, on either side of a spell.
Beiwacht is the $3.50 favourite for the Manikato. Oliveanotherday, who is a six-time winner from only nine starts and who is unbeaten at Caulfield, is the current second favourite at $5.
And as for Rothfire … well, he is out in familiar territory in the betting.
If you scroll down far enough you will find him on the $34 mark!
