Gangly mare Bocage is the cheapest horse in trainer Robert Heathcote’s stable but she was hailed like a champion after winning on Wednesday.
Bocage ($7), who cost only $7000, won a Class 1 (1600m) but Heathcote let out an audible sigh of relief after the victory.
Heathcote started the season in a blaze of glory having 40 winners in the first three months but Bocage was only his second winner in his past 60 runners.
Heathcote said his slump had coincided with earthworks starting beside his Eagle Farm racecourse stables.
“It came to a head when I scratched a couple of my horses from the Sunshine Coast last week when I was worried they hadn’t got enough rest because of the works,” Heathcote said.
“But the workers have gone for the Christmas holidays and I have already seen a change in my horses.”
“It has been a real learning experience. I originally thought the horses would get used to the noise. But that was never the case and if they were humans they would be suffering from noise-induced anxiety.”
“The Brisbane Race Club knows I am upset about it but there isn’t much they can do.”
Heathcote said Bocage had been a work in progress and had taken a while to learn what racing was all about.
“She cost me very little for a Show A Heart mare. But she has won two races now and more importantly I think she has signalled my horses are on the up,” Heathcote said.
Jockey Jeff Lloyd and trainer Toby Edmonds picked up where they left off when they had an early double with Sweet Shamrock ($3.60) and The Amateur ($1.30).
Lloyd rode seven winners and Edmonds trained five winners at the previous Sunshine Coast metropolitan standard meeting two weeks ago.
Edmonds has a high opinion of both Sweet Shamrock and The Amateur who both clocked fast times.
“They have both improved since arriving here and I think they can win better races,” Edmonds said.
