For a while there, it looked like a forlorn hope … and, realistically, it still remains only a slim chance, but the breaking news … quite literally … out of the Robert Heathcote stable is that after the latest development with Rothfire, the stable stalwart is still a chance of making the Stradbroke field on June 14.
It has been a trying week for the connections of Rothfire with the associated problems picked up from a stone bruise the seven-year-old suffered over a week ago, but there is now light at the end of that tunnel.
“I do have good news,” said Heathcote. “The infection in Rothfire’s hoof burst out at the coronet band, where the hoof joins the leg. It took nine days for the infection to come out of the coronet band. That just happened on Wednesday, and already he is feeling so much better.
“We are now a chance of going to the Stradbroke. It’s still only about thirty to forty percent at best, but it is a chance which wasn’t there before the infection burst out.”
Rothfire actually had to be scratched twice from this Saturday’s Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup.
The stone bruise took him out of the race when it was due to be run last Saturday and Rothfire’s current condition led to him being scratched again for the rescheduled running of the race this week, after scratchings were reinstated after last week’s washout.
The disappointment at the timing of Rothfire’s issue was exaggerated by the fact that Rothfire was seemingly on track for a big run in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup following his superb effort in the Doomben 10,000, a race in which he was just touched off in the final strides by the faster finishing Sunshine In Paris.
And it was a case of déjà vu for Heathcote. Back in 2012 the former Heathcote stable star Buffering also fell victim to a stone bruise injury and was ruled out of the BRC Sprint, a race he was strongly fancied to win.
“Yeah, so we are not running in the Kingsford Smith … but we are still a chance of running in the Stradbroke,” said Heathcote, who has been through the wringer of emotion over the last ten days.
In terms of the ups and downs of racing … and everybody directly involved in the game has experienced that one way or another … the deep side of the down cycle for Heathcote came last Tuesday when Rothfire pulled up with the stone bruise and, shortly afterwards on the same day, Heathcote had to rush his emerging three-year-old Cosmo Centaurus to the equine unit in a mercy dash to save his life after he went down with colitis, which refers to a rogue bacteria which goes into the stomach … one that can have disastrous consequences.
Thankfully, Cosmo Centaurus is back safe in the stable.
“I thought what have I done here to pick up all this bad luck,” said Heathcote.
Then on Saturday, there was a chance to smile with the stable having a winner in the form of Demon Darb, but the smile hardly had time to linger.
Four races later Fabulantes was withdrawn at the start of the Sires Produce Stakes. The promising colt was scratched on vets advice after sustaining a laceration to the off hind-leg after becoming fractious and momentarily cast in the gates.
Another downer.
Then the focus was back to Rothfire and the on-going treatment and wait for a breakthrough which eventually came on Wednesday … and with it came that touch of hope of a chance, no matter how small, of lining up in the $3 million race, albeit with a compromised preparation.
These sorts of trials and tribulations, of course, are not confined to any one stable, but this latest Heathcote stable scenario gives a good insight into the range of issues trainers have to deal with on an almost daily basis.
“Now you can understand why I am slightly insane,” quipped Heathcote.
For now, though, the Stradbroke countdown is on … and the clock is ticking.
On face value it seems that the next nine-day period leading into the race might be too little, too late … but, then again, Rothfire has proved the doubters wrong before and who’s to say he won’t do it again.
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