Rob Heathcote is out to round out what has been a solid winter carnival with success in Saturday’s Glasshouse Handicap at Caloundra.
The stable has BRC Sprint winner Emerald Kingdom lining up and could also have East Asia, who is an emergency for the race, but also entered in one of the support races on the card.
Emerald Kingdom is coming off a last start eighth in the Stradbroke and he’s already a two-times winner at Caloundra.
“Pre-race if you’d said to me he would get beaten 1.8 lengths (in the Stradbroke), I would have taken it,” Heathcote said, before adding a squeeze from eventual winner Tofane may have cost him finishing fourth or fifth.
“It’s certainly going to be a challenge (under 59kg), but the day he won the Summer Cup, he made two or three runs. It was a really strong, gutsy run.
“He’s in as good a form as we’ve ever had him and he’s good on the track, so he will certainly be competitive.”
East Asia will run in a Benchmark 75 race if she doesn’t go around in the Glasshouse.
The stable also has Dusty Tycoon on the comeback trail after two throat operations and she’s set to resume over 1000m on Saturday.
In her latest jumpout, Dusty Tycoon was ridden opposite to her usual on-pace pattern and pleased Heathcote with the way she found the line.
“It’s quite extraordinary that she’s come back. There’s some apprehension after the procedure, but her lead-up work has been super,” the trainer said.
She drew wide in the jumpout and Robbie Fradd elected to ride her quiet and wow, she savaged the line.”
Warp Speed (Race 1) is another horse Heathcote expects to run well on Saturday.
Heathcote not only had Emerald Kingdom win a Group 3 through the carnival, but also unearthed exciting youngster Prince Of Boom, who won the Group 2 Champagne (Spirit Of Boom) Classic and is now on a Golden Rose path.
“The last 12 months has been a bit of a re-build for my stable. Prince Of Boom was fantastic winning the Champagne, he’s back into work this week and we will get another crack at that Golden Rose,” he said.
Heathcote was in the winners’ circle early at Eagle Farm on Wednesday with first starter Kyandra Gold winning on debut.
“First up it’s a daunting experience for them and in all my years in racing, one thing I’ve learned is that when they can win a race first up, they’ve got ability,” Heathcote said.
Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au