With stable star Rothfire in Melbourne and Tattersall’s Tiara winner Startantes in Sydney, Queensland trainer Rob Heathcote is preparing to rack up his frequent flyer points this spring.
A week after being trackside to watch Rothfire win the McEwen Stakes at Moonee Valley first-up, Heathcote will make a hit-and-run visit to Rosehill on Saturday to oversee the return of Startantes in the Group 2 Sheraco Stakes (1200m).
Diminutive in stature, the four-year-old hasn’t added to her height since the winter, but she has furnished and returned to work with an attitude to match.
“When you see her walk in the parade ring on Saturday she will look as good as anything in there,” Heathcote said.
“She’s not big but she is lovely and well rounded. She has developed a lovely hindquarter, she has a lovely glow to her coat and she’s got a bit of strut about her.
“She has turned into a right little madam.
“This is certainly not her grand final, but I still feel she is going to run a nice race.”
Startante’s petite frame hasn’t stopped her on the racetrack.
Placed in the Flight Stakes last spring, she finished runner-up to Hinged in the Surround Stakes and fifth against the seasoned sprinters in the Stradbroke Handicap before landing a deserved Group 1 win over Snapdancer in the Tattersall’s Tiara.
While the conditions of the Sheraco Stakes aren’t ideal – Startantes will concede three kilos to Espiona and four to favourite Shades Of Rose – Heathcote expects a typically competitive performance to kick off a campaign that could take her all the way to the Golden Eagle.
She has already been sounded out for the $2 million The Invitation (1400m) on October 22, but given it is run a week before the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m), Heathcote admits he might have a tough decision to make.
“If I was to have a chance of running in the Golden Eagle and being a genuine chance, do you run a horse a week before and jeopardise that chance? That’s a bridge we will have to cross when we get there,” Heathcote said.
“It’s a nice problem to have.”
Startantes has topweight of 58kg in the Sheraco and history is against her with Catkins in 2014-15 the only mare to successfully carry the same impost to victory in the past 20 years, while More Joyous lumped 59kg to her wins in 2010 and 2012.