Jo McKinnon Column

Vet full of praise for Heathcote after Rothfire’s fairytale win

Rothfire’s (Rothesay) comeback from the catastrophic injury he sustained in the Golden Rose (Gr 1, 1400m) two years ago is simply incredible and no doubt the many who wrote him off completely are still shaking their heads in disbelief.

To have defied early veterinary prognosis which suggested he would never race again let alone win and take out the McEwen Stakes (Group 2, 1000m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday is testament to not only his toughness but also the very determined efforts of his trainer Rob Heathcote.

Respected racing veterinarian Dr Ben Mason summed it up.

“It’s an amazing training performance from Rob to bring Rothfire back to racing success. He’s a tough, tough horse and has been well managed by Rob Heathcote and his team,” said Mason.

“He sustained a sesamoid bone fracture, underwent surgery, rehabilitated 44 weeks, raced twice, re-injured it before competing in Everest in 2021 then returned winning at Group 2 a year later in 2022. It’s a fairytale.”
It was a masterstroke by Heathcote to avoid the wet, tough going currently being served up on Sydney tracks and run the horse on the StrathAyr turf surface at The Valley.

“That’s why I went down there. I haven’t had a lot of luck in Sydney since his injury they are always heavy tracks. That StrathAyr track they only race on 16 or 17 times a year and Marty Synan [racecourse manager] does a beautiful job and I knew I was going to get a perfect track for a horse with a dodgy fetlock.

“Moonee Valley is just beautiful. I love it there and it was as proud a moment as I have had in a while to get him back winning. It was super,” said Heathcote.

Just shy of two years ago Rothfire sustained what was widely considered at the time to be a career-ending sesamoid injury. 

In this column on August 25 last year, after Rothfire had impressively won a trial at Doomben, Heathcote said: “My vet Dr Phil Burguez has been a practising surgeon most of his life and he fully understood the complexity of the injury. He basically said ‘yes you are lucky but it’s the type of injury he’s either going to come back from successfully or he’s not.’ It’s not the type of injury he might come back and be a good Saturdayclass horse he will come back a Group 1 performer or not at all.”

Well, it seems Burguez’s prediction was spot on. Rothfire has come back as a Group 1 performer. During the Queensland winter carnival, he ran fifth in the Doomben 10,000 (Group 1, 1200m), fourth in the Kingsford-Smith Cup (Group 1, 1300m), and third in the Stradbroke Handicap (Group 1, 1400m).

That campaign, says Heathcote, was instrumental in not only Saturday’s outcome but what’s potentially on the horizon for the five-year-old. 

“I have trained him with kid gloves over the last 18 months. I hadn’t done a lot with him but only during the recent winter carnival I stuck it up him and ran him in three Group 1s in a row and he ran super. I thought bloody hell the horse has come out of this sound so that enabled me to give it to him a little bit more in training.

“It’s been great because before I was always walking on eggshells every time he had a gallop and now I can send him out and say to a work rider to do five and two and let him run up in 24 and I have no problems that his leg will hold up. 

“For the first 12 months, I was apprehensive as I didn’t want to push him in case I broke him down. The winter carnival campaign has made training him easier because I don’t have that fear anymore,” he said.

What also gives Heathcote confidence in this lazarus-like journey of Rothfire is the fact that he’s in great hands for his assault on the Melbourne spring with long-time stable employee Mel Sharp.

“Mel’s been with me for years. She took Buffering around the world and she kills Rothfire with kindness.”

I hoped to talk with Rothfire’s loyal groom for this story but, not comfortable with the limelight, she politely declined and said she prefers to let her boss do the talking.  

What’s more, she’s too busy anyway with all the care and attention she gives Rothfire on a daily basis. After all, there’s now a Moir Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) to try and win with him at the end of the month.

Wouldn’t that be something if he can pull that off?

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