Buffering’s chances of racing in Saturday week’s Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1000m) have improved considerably with the horse bouncing back from concerns that arose following a series of inoculations.

Buffering's chances of running in the Schillaci Stakes have improved. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Reports surfaced yesterday that the star sprinter had been knocked around by the inoculations, which have been issued with a possible Hong Kong trip in mind, but trainer Robert Heathcote said the five-year-old had made significant improvement over the past day.

“It gave me a bloody big fright but he’s made excellent improvement in the last 24 hours,” Heathcote said.

“The experts told me that sometimes it can knock them around for 24 or 48 hours and that is what happened with Buffering.

“I’m really pleased now and my confidence levels of going to the Schillaci have risen dramatically. I wouldn’t say he is a certain starter or anything but I’m a lot more optimistic now.”

Buffering will resume work tomorrow for the first time since scoring a typically tough win in the Group 3 Moir Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night.

“He’ll work in the morning which is his first bit of work since the Moir,” Heathcote said.

“But dropping back from 1200m to 1000m the work isn’t going to be a problem. It’s just a matter of getting the horse to at least 90 per cent.

“He was his courageous best on Friday night and part of the reason we went to the Moir was I knew he had these inoculations coming up and if something happened then at least he had the run under his belt.”

Buffering’s major spring goals are the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on October 26 and the Group 1 Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 10.