With Rothfire proving to be the pride of Queensland racing this season … his win in the $2 million Sydney Stakes and the $1.5 million Group 1 Doomben 10,000 only cementing a reputation steeped in ability, resilience and character which had already been in place for a long time … it is not surprising that the incredible story of a runner whose career came ‘back from the dead’ continues to resonate with racing enthusiasts to such a degree.
It is a story that has been repeated often enough and the river of support that will flow for Rothfire on Saturday will be enormous with the strong current likely to blow the top off the grandstand should Rothfire salute on the day.
That would be the ultimate result in terms of Queendland glory but, while he deserves all the credit for his superb management of Rothfire, it would be prudent to also recognise that trainer Robert Heathcote has never been a one trick pony.
Every feature race runner from the stable would have benefitted from Heathcote’s strategic planning and physical and mental preparation … but, as in the case of the Stradbroke Handicap, with Rothfire justifiably reeling in the plaudits, it is very easy to not give the ‘other’ Heathcote runner due respect.
In this context Abounding has been easy to miss, but there is no doubt the five-year-old mare is well worth a second glance … after-all, she is a last start winner having taken out the Group 3 BRC Sprint when flying home over 1350m at double-figure odds and hitting the line hard in a pressurised finish.
That was four runs into her preparation, so she will be rock-hard fit on Saturday, but, perhaps the best form reference for Abounding came in a six race spell over four months in the second half of last year, when also well into her preparation, in which Abounding finished second in the Group 1 Tatts Tara over 1400m at Eagle Farm … third in the Group 3 Cockram Stakes over 1200m at Caulfield … third in the Group 2 Let’s Elope over 1400m at Flemington, when only beaten by 0.60 lengths … second in the Group 2 Stocks over 1500m at Moonee Valley, when only beaten by 0.75 lengths by fellow Stradbroke contender Splash Back when carrying 1kg more than the winner … then reversing that result with Splash Back in the Group 2 Tristarc over 1400m at Caufield when carrying1kg less than the runner-up … and finally finishing unplaced behind the runaway winner Pride Of Jenni in the Group 1 Empire Rose over 1600m at Flemington.
That form … at four different racetracks over four different distances … which, remember, should be weighed up in conjunction with her last start win … speaks volumes for Abounding’s constitution and her all around commitment and consistency … with her will to compete being ratified on many occasions, and there is no reason to think that will not be the case again on Saturday.
Maybe there is more honesty than flair in her makeup … but honesty can take you a long way.
The only possible downside is that Abounding would probably not want the racing surface to be any worse than in the soft range … but the Heathcote trained runner would not be alone in that preference. A number of her rivals will be in the same boat.
So, there it is … Abounding waiting just in the shadows at the end of the Rothfire spotlight … ready to fire up and possibly run the biggest race of her career.
The win, for any runner in the race, is going to be difficult to claim but the message regarding Heathcote’s ‘other’ runner in the Stradbroke is a simple one.
Do not underestimate Abounding!
Rothefire is currently a $23 chance with Aussie betting sites. Abounding has been marked up at $34.
