Buffering To Miss The Autumn Carnival
- Wednesday, 17 December 2014 08:10
Star Brisbane sprinter Buffering will miss Sydney's autumn carnival with trainer Robert Heathcote keen to have him at his top for what might be his last chance to win a home town Group One.
Heathcote arrived back in Brisbane on Tuesday far from deflated with the seven-year-old's sixth in the Hong Kong International Sprint two days earlier.
"It was a wonderful experience and I probably won't get a chance again," Heathcote said.
"It was a bit disappointing that things didn't go his way with a foot abscess in the lead-up to the race."
"And he did race flat after his hard Melbourne spring. But he fought on very well when headed and it was always going to be tough when he was forced to race outside the leader."
Buffering will have another two weeks in Hong Kong and then spend another two weeks in quarantine at Werribee before coming back to Brisbane.
"I will then give him another four to six weeks in the paddock before setting him for another tilt at the winter carnival," Heathcote said.
Buffering first ran at the winter carnival in May 2010 when he won a feature two-year-old race at Ipswich.
He has since contested another 15 winter carnival races for three wins and eight minor placings including six at Group One level.
"I would love him to win a Brisbane Group One race but I suppose time is running out a bit. But a long spell will give him every chance," Heathcote said.
Buffering ran third behind Lankan Rupee and Rebel Dane in the $2.5 million TJ Smith at Randwick in April.
Those two filled the minor placings when Buffering won his fourth Group One race, the Moir Stakes, in September.
His other three Group One victories came in the spring of 2013 in the Manikato at Moonee Valley, the VRC Sprint at Flemington and the Winterbottom in Perth.
