He’s won three on the trot and is undoubtedly the best staying prospect in Queensland at the moment but Simmering won’t get a shot at the big races over the spring, not this year at least.

Trainer Robert Heathcote has said that his horse will wind up his campaign this time in and they’ll instead be looking towards the spring carnivals of 2012.

The question had to be asked after he once again trounced his opposition in winning the Brand And Slater Architects Handicap across 2125m at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

When he crossed the line there was a full six length break between him and the second placed King Of The Nile, who to be fair had done well to even get that close after rounding the bend in last place.

There must have been a strong temptation for Heathcote to try and capitalise on Simmering’s current good form in some bigger events but he says he’s content to play the waiting game until next year.

“I identified this horse as an above average stayer when he first came to my stable but he’s exceeded our expectations,” Heathcote said.

“I really think now we are going to have a real prospect for the Caulfield Cup next year. He’ll probably go to the paddock now and come back after Christmas for a light campaign. I’m thinking about a brief Sydney program because I think the travel would benefit him. But we are now in full planning for next spring.”

In the horses favour is that he’s only had the 10 career starts so far, form those he’s managed to score a win five times.

His record is even better when you only take into account events raced over more than a mile.

There’s no doubt he has the makings of a real top liner as his racing style is perfectly suited to getting across a long trip.

“He settles so well and can really open up and extend when you go for him,” Heathcote said.

The win of Simmering capped off a very successful day for the Heathcote stable which is already asserting its dominance in the early stages of the new Queensland season.

One of Heathcote’s other notable prospects is Availability which got the job done in the Programmed Maintenance Handicap as a short priced favourite.

As yet though his future plans are still up in the air and it’s likely he’ll press forward for another run or two this campaign depending on how well he pulls up today.