Rothfire is an early scratching from Saturday’s Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup with trainer Robert Heathcote confirming that one of Queenland’s favourite racehorses is undergoing treatment for an issue with his near-fore hoof.
The seven-year-old showed in no uncertain terms that he is still a force to be reckoned with when he did everything but win the Doomben 10 000 in his last start, only being run down in the final few strides by Sunshine In Paris in a real thriller.
Should Rothfire, as expected, come through the treatment well, the son of Rothesay will take his place … for the third time … in the $3 million Stradbroke on June 14.
He finished second to Think About it in the 2023 edition of The Stradbroke and came home in third place the year before that behind Alligator Blood and Private Eye.
Rothfire was a $16 chance with swiftbet before coming out of the market.
