Heathcote’s Roth fires to Champagne Classic success at Eagle Farm
‘Thrilla from Chinchilla’ defies rejection from sales to add a Group win to his burgeoning record
A bomb threat, an ‘Isotope’ and a ‘Wild Ruler’ all together have the makings of a disastrous combination, but they were not enough to derail top Queensland juvenile Rothfire, who yesterday continued his rags-to-riches rise with his pillar-to-post win in the Champagne Classic (Gr 2, 1200m) at Eagle Farm.
On an eventful day at Brisbane’s premier racetrack, the Robert Heathcote-trained Rothfire (2 g Rothesay – Huss On Fire by Hussonet) took his record to five wins from six starts with an easy win against five rivals in the Champagne Classic. The horse dubbed the ‘Thrilla from Chinchilla’ by his owners was returning to the races for the first time since suffering a shock defeat in the QTIS 2YO Jewel (1200m) at the Gold Coast in March, finishing second to Kisukano (Bel Esprit).
Breaking very quickly from gate two yesterday, Rothfire was straight into the lead under Jim Byrne, only facing moderate pressure from an overracing Wild Ruler (Snitzel). Throughout, he appeared to be in control, kicking clear upon straightening and reaching the line a length and a quarter clear of the Tony Gollan-trained Isotope (Deep Field). Wild Ruler was a nose away in third.
Rothfire was immediately wound into $5 favourite with the TAB for the J J Atkins (Gr 1, 1400m), to be run over the shortened trip this year. Although his only defeat came at 1200 metres before yesterday’s victory at that trip, Heathcote believes that he will get a mile in time.
“It’s just good to have him back,” Heathcote said. “I think he beat a couple of good horses so he is right up there. I really do have a lot of time for this horse. He has done everything we have asked of him.
“I had a few self-doubts, which in hindsight I shouldn’t have had. When Jimmy got to the 300, I thought ‘he’s had a breather’ and he found that kick. We go to the 1400 metres of the Atkins now and we will see what he can do.
“I think we will find Jimmy saying he is such a laid back, cool dude, he just relaxes.”
Byrne added: “Rothfire is pretty foolproof and he really jumped well again today. Bring on the Atkins.”
The Champagne Classic holds special significance to Heathcote. It was the first Group race he won in 2000, taking the race with Chenar (Just Awesome)
“Chenar’s daughter Funtantes won the Champagne in 2009 and now we have won it again,” Heathcote said. “It is my favourite race.”
Rothfire will once again tackle Isotope and Wild Ruler in the J J Atkins, as well as Ken Russell Memorial Classic (Gr 3, 1200m) winner Wisdom Of Water (Headwater). Last time Wisdom Of Water met Rothfire, the latter was nine lengths superior, although he has gone ahead in leaps and bounds since.
The Champagne Classic was the first of the features to be run at Eagle Farm yesterday after a bomb threat temporarily brought the meeting to a halt.
Horses were parading for the third race when police were called to the racecourse. A thorough inspection of the track and the racetrack facilities, which were mostly deserted due to Covid-19 protocols, revealed no abnormalities and the third took place an hour later than scheduled.
Chief steward Peter Chadwick said: “We can confirm police were called to the track and undertook an operation. We can’t make any further comment on the details of the incident as police were in charge.”
Rothfire became the sixth stakes winner for Lyndhurst Stud’s Rothesay (Fastnet Rock) and his first at Group 2 level. It comes as the rising 14-year-old enjoys something of a resurgence; after two seasons of serving 28 mares, he covered a book of 98 mares last year. He will stand at an unchanged fee of $4,950 (inc GST) for the upcoming breeding season.
Bred by Wally and Jill Gleeson and their sons Simon, Jacob and Tom under their Gleeson Thoroughbreds banner, Rothfire was born and raised at their Chinchilla property. While he was inspected by the major sales companies, he was deemed unsuitable as a yearling prospect and was instead sold to Heathcote for $10,000 – although it was a bill that Heathcote had to pay twice due to a phishing scam.
Now, Rothfire has made that $20,000 outlay look cheap, earning $495,400 in prize-money through his six starts.
Rothfire was the final foal out of Huss On Fire (Hussonet), an unraced mare who was retired from the breeding barn in 2018 and died last year. She produced six foals; five raced for three winners, including six-time victor Rylee’s Saga (Real Saga).
While there is little black-type in his immediate family, his family traces back to fifth dam Gently (Grey Sovereign), winner of the Nell Gwyn Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) in 1965. Among her descendants are Group 1 winners Agnes World (Danzig), Tourist (Tiznow), Librettist (Danzig), Dubai Destination (Kingmambo) and Grease (Filiberto).
Rothfire will aim to become the second juvenile Group 1 winner this season with Hussonet (Mr Prospector) as a damsire, with ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) and Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winner King’s Legacy (Redoute’s Choice) also out of a Hussonet mare.
Victorem into Stradbroke after Victory
Port Macquarie trainer Jenny Graham was unable to be trackside at Eagle Farm yesterday due to coronavirus restrictions, but she was celebrating from afar as she scored her first Group win with Victorem (5 g I Am Invincible – Playful Miss by Foreplay) in the Victory Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m).
Victorem bounced back after bucking at the start first-up in the BRC Sprint (Gr 3, 1200m) at Doomben. Forced to barrier trial last Tuesday, he was given an easy time by Mark Du Plessis to prime him for his second-up assignment yesterday.
However, he was unwanted by the market, starting at $17 with Vega One (Lope De Vega) the $4.80 favourite.
Jumping far better yesterday, he was first from the gates but was eased by Du Plessis to sit midfield one off the rail, five lengths from heavily-backed leader Winter Bride (Not A Single Doubt). Du Plessis held Victorem together until well into the straight, switching to the inside and making ground rapidly.
Dashing through to hit the lead, he held off the late charge of Niccanova (Nicconi) by a length and a quarter, with a long neck back to Deep Image (Testa Rossa) in third. He has now won eight of his 19 starts.
Graham sent Victorem to Eagle Farm trainer Barry Lockwood to aim at the Stradbroke Handicap (Gr 1, 1400m), with the handler unable to travel north herself with the Queensland border closed.
“Of course I would love to be there but you have to do the right thing in these times,” she said. “I would just like to thank Barry and his staff who have been fantastic. To be able to trust someone with your best horse says it all.”
After missing a start in last year’s Stradbroke Handicap, Victorem is now guaranteed a run in this year’s event in a fortnight’s time and is not eligible for a penalty. However, he may need a new jockey with Du Plessis already booked for yesterday’s fourth placegetter Outback Barbie (Spirit Of Boom); she currently sits outside the top 20 but should get a run with a number of unlikely acceptors ahead of her.
“I am sure we will get plenty of jockeys ringing us. This horse has been so good to us and already won over a million dollars,” Graham said. “It would be fantastic for him to win a Group 1 and he deserves it.”
Bred by Michelle Kelly and offered by Eliza Park International as a weanling at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale Select Session in 2015, he failed to reach his reserve of $60,000, being passed in for $57,500.
Offered almost 18 months later at the 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YOs In Training Sale by Symphony Lodge, he was purchased by Graham for $65,000. He has now earned almost $1.3 million.
Victorem is the first foal out of Sydney winner Playful Miss (Victorem). She has since produced fillies by Mahisara (More Than Ready) and Denman (Lonhro), while her Territories (Invincible Spirit) filly went through the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale earlier this year, selling for $150,000. She is back in foal to Territories after missing to I Am Invincible last year.
Victorem is I Am Invincible’s 12th Australian stakes winner this season, his eighth at Group level.
Costa, Chau celebrate Group success with Giant
Trainer Michael Costa and jockey Allan Chau both recorded their first Group win yesterday when they combined to take the Gunsynd Classic (Gr 3, 1800m) with Supergiant (3 g Red Giant – My Marguerite ex Spectacular Love) yesterday.
Ridden with aplomb on the speed by Chau, Supergiant held on by the narrowest of margins over the fast-finishing Ballistic Boy (Smart Missile) for trainer Chris Anderson with favourite Kinane (Reliable Man) producing a decent but non-threatening effort for third.
It took Supergiant’s record to three wins from five starts, with the Queensland Derby replacement, the Rough Habit Plate (Gr 3, 2200m), his next target.
Costa made the move to Queensland in 2016, leaving behind a Sydney operation that included subsequent Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain). While it may have proved a difficult pill to swallow then, Costa has long shaped as a potential top trainer and his first Group win has the potential to bring further success to his stable.
Chau himself made the move to south-east Queensland this season, having ridden around the NSW Northern Rivers region for a number of years.
Supergiant had finished second to Vanna Girl (Husson) in the Doomben Guineas (Listed, 1615m) at his last start with Ballistic Boy in third. And while a number of high-profile jockeys had chased the ride for the Gunsynd Classic, Costa said he had never contemplated replacing Chau on the gelding.
“Allan does a lot of the hard work and he deserves his chance. It is his first Group winner and mine too so it is all the sweeter,” Costa said. “Now he can go to the Rough Habit Plate in a fortnight. He will be even better for the effort today. He is a horse which seems to get fit with racing and that was only his fifth run.”
Kinane passed a veterinary exam before being allowed to take his place in the field, having been involved in a float incident on his way to the track.
Taken back from the outside gate by Ryan Maloney, he made up decent ground late but never looked a threat to the top two.
Supergiant hails from a Scandinavian family with third dam Forn Vell (Air Trooper) a prominent stakes winner in Denmark and Sweden. Also from the family is Kibbutz (Golan), winner of the 2007 Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m).
His dam My Marguerite (Spectacular Love), a maiden from 23 starts, has only produced five foals in her time at stud. Supergiant is one of three to race, along with two-time winner Zavamar (Savabeel) and five-time placegetter Five Princes (Red Giant).
In addition, she has a Puccini yearling too, but has not been served the last two seasons.
Originally trained by Jim Collett at Matamata in New Zealand, Costa picked up Supergiant after he was shown a barrier trial effort from Cambridge last year by bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo.
“Chris Waller’s Queensland manager recommended Phill so I owe him a favour,” Costa said.
“Supergiant was actually the first horse that Phill put forth to me. I received an email and you never really want to jump into the first one, but I liked his trial and he was priced affordably at $70,000.
“It was always going to be a little bit of a punt for owners given he is by a sire in Red Giant that is not that well known in Australia, but on the back of his trial and reasonable price, we probably could have sold him five times over.”
Red Giant served six seasons at Westbury Stud in New Zealand between 2010 and 2016 before he was sold to Ozcolak Stud in Turkey in 2017, where he stands under the Turkey Jockey Club banner. He stood for 10,000 lira (AUD$2,250) in 2018, with his fee now private.