Rival trainers Tony Gollan and Rob Heathcote go head-to-head in the Winterbottom Stakes. Pic Mark Cranitch. Source: Mark Cranitch / News Limited
YOU would think Tony Gollan would be put off by Buffering taking on Spirit Of Boom in Saturday's Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes, but he has welcomed the presence of the $3.8 million earner.
Spirit Of Boom was a close third in last year's Winterbottom and Gollan is banking on a hot speed for his six-year-old, who arrives in even better form this year.
"Buffering being there is part of racing in the Group 1s, you have to expect to take on the best," Gollan said.
"But this will be a different race to the Group 1s in Melbourne. They get firm ground and they run their sprint races at a very good clip. They don't worry about reputations over there. I think there will be plenty of pressure on Buffering this time."
Buffering and Spirit Of Boom arrived in Perth yesterday and their trainers will join them today.
Rob Heathcote hasn't been to Perth in 30 years but says he has fond memories of his lone visit and he hopes Buffering can provide some more fodder for his scrapbook this week.
"I felt he made a statement at Flemington," Heathcote said.
"He was leading into a headwind, the Hong Kong horse (Lucky Nine) was supposed to improve several lengths and the bookies took a big set against him, but he just left them standing.
"It's funny, only a few weeks ago people were saying he wasn't a genuine Group 1 horse, now he's the highest rated sprinter in the land."
Buffering will be his first runner at Ascot and he is expecting a typically warm response for his warhorse.
"I get blown away by the popularity of the horse, not just in Queensland but everywhere," he said.
"The number of emails and texts I received was amazing and then everyone you bump into at the races says 'good on Buff.' There's a genuine affection for the horse now."
Stablemate Solzhenitsyn is set to undergo tie back surgery tomorrow for laryngeal hemiplegia, which is paralysis of half the larynx.
"It's what controls the breathing, which helps explain what went wrong at Flemington," Heathcote said.
"It's a similar operation to the one So You Think had after he won his first Cox Plate and the vets have said there's a 60 per cent chance of an excellent result, 20 per cent of it being good and only 20 per cent of it not being any good, so we are hopeful he will come back fine.
"It still gives me enough time to get him ready for the autumn and winter if all goes well."
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