2025 Doomben 10,000: Old warrior Rothfire game in defeat

Daily Telegraph

18-05-2025

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It's not often that a trainer and connections get narrowly beaten in a $1.5 million Group 1 and are overcome emotionally with a heady mixture of ecstasy and a tinge of sadness.
But that's exactly what happened to trainer Rob Heathcote and the owners of Rothfire on Saturday when majestic mare Sunshine In Paris defeated the old warrior by a head in a thrilling Doomben 10,000 (1200m).
It took a now three-time Group 1-winning mare and superstar jockey James McDonald to get the better of Rothfire, who bravely fought to the line, despite being written off by many experts and bookmakers leading into the feature race.
That's what created the tears of joy in the owners' enclosure after the Doomben 10,000.
The sadness comes from the stark reality that the ride is almost over for Heathcote and the seven-year-old gelding's owners, given this is likely to be Rothfire's last winter carnival.
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'It's quite bizarre really. For a horse that ran second, it really felt like a win, everyone was so happy,' a delighted Heathcote said on Sunday
'It is an unusual feeling because you rue missing out on the status and dollars of a $1.5 million Group 1 but yet I'm absolutely enormously proud of the effort of the horse.
'I think the fact that James McDonald made as much reference to Rothfire's courageous run than he did his own horse is testament to the quality of Rothfire's run.
'I was so confident going into that race, not of winning but of making people eat their words.
'I was confident he would run huge because he doesn't know how to not run huge. It's just ingrained in his character.'
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Heathcote will head to the $1m Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm on May 31 brimming with even more confidence after Rothfire's Doomben heroics.
Then it's likely on to the prestigious $3m Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) two weeks later for a winter carnival swan song for the 'Thrilla From Chinchilla', the iron horse whose career nearly ended in September 2020 when he suffered a severe sesamoid injury.
Heathcote revealed he had been more 'aggressive' in the preparation of the 2020 JJ Atkins champion given that this campaign would likely be his last dance.
'I've actually gone into this preparation a little more aggressive with him in terms of training,' he said on Sunday.
'I've got him a little more forward because this may be the last roll of dice so I don't tend to be as timid in his work.
'It's always a sense of relief with this horse every time he races and every time he does a track gallop.
'About nine months ago there was a bit of a push on social media that I should retire this horse but I pushed back and said 'I'll know when the time is right'.
'I don't need people to tell me. Clearly the time is not right.'
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Heathcote is happy to compare the tenacious Rothfire to his seven-time Group 1 champion gelding Buffering, who retired in the spring of 2016 after a glittering career.
'It's a question I get asked, who would've been the better horse?' he said.
'Buffering put seven Group 1s on the board and won $7 million bucks, which is akin to $15 or $20 million these days.
'But Rothfire, with his gammy leg, he still ran second in three feature Group 1s. He's as tough as they come.'
Originally published as 'Enormously proud': Mixture of joy and sadness after Rothfire goes agonisingly close to fairytale Group 1 victory in 2025 Doomben 10,000