Buffering will be in with a real chance for the Manikato Stakes if the track is rated slow
Robert Heathcote is praying for more rain to fall on Melbourne as his stable star Buffering prepares to line up against the big guns of racing in the Group 1 Manikato Stakesat Moonee Valley tomorrow night.
The trainer believes that Buffering will be in with a big chance should the track end up at the predicted slow 6 rating.
“That will suit him,” Heathcote said.
“If he has any chance of knocking off the two stars, Sepoy and More Joyous, it’s probably going to be on a rain affected track even though More Joyous has four runs on a slow for four wins.
“But Buffering does go very well on a rain affected track I’ve found.”
The four-year-old Mossman gelding is fresh off a first-up win in the Group 3 McEwen Stakes earlier this month.
“What you see is what you get,” Heathcote said.
“He’s drawn well and he’s going to come out charging.”
While many critics feel Buffering is best over 1,000 metres, Heathcote has no qualms about running the horse over the Manikato Stake’s 1,200 metres.
“He worked well on at Moonee Valley on Monday,” he said.
“I really think the 1200 is what he wants.
“He’ll get that.”
While Buffering prepares for his Manikato start, Woorim will be scratched from the First Light Racing Handicap tomorrow night in favour of the Group 1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield on October 8.
“He’ll be scratched and he’ll go straight to the Toorak,” Heathcote said.
Woorim finished a disappointing 15th of 17 n the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes last start after refusing to stretch out on the firm Good 2 rated track.
“I was expecting after the firm surface he’d be jarred up,” Heathcote said.
“(But) all is fine there.
“He was just reluctant to stretch out.
“I was quite amazed as was the on course veterinary surgeon who looked at the horse immediately out of the race and found out that he had a resting heartbeat of 80 which is only marginally above what it would have been before the race.”
Heathcote is hoping either Buffering or Woorim can give him his first group 1 winner of his career this Melbourne spring racing carnival.
