Abounding is due for some luck in Tuesday's barrier draw for the 2025 Group 1 Tatt's Tiara
The numbers aren't pretty for the Robert Heathcote -trained mare – 12, 13, 12, 13, 15, 10 and 16 are the gates she's jumped from in her past seven races.
In fact, Abounding hasn't drawn a single-figure barrier since June last year when she placed fourth in the $300,000 Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes at Eagle Farm.
A frustrated Heathcote insisted punters hadn't seen the best of the daughter of Rich Enuff due to her horrendous draws.
Her most recent victory came in the $160,000 Listed Tatt's Classic (1200m) at Doomben last November when Irish jockey Martin Harley rode her with cover from gate 10 before getting a split and charging home.
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'I actually contacted Racing Queensland and said 'how is it possible that a horse can draw half-a-dozen bad barriers in a row?',' Heathcote said.
'And the double-digit barriers that she's been drawing have been giving her really disadvantaged runs.
'Her runs have all been good, with zero luck. We've had to go back, leaders win. We go forward and she's caught wide and that's a big disadvantage.
'We firmly believe she's good enough to win a Group race and every rider has said 'give her a run and she'll be in the finish'.'
Abounding over the top in the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas! @mmsnippets @GCTurfClub @FirstLight_FLR pic.twitter.com/HEDxsjRtt5
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 13, 2024
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If Heathcote's bad luck continues, he can take solace in the fact that plenty of Tatt's Tiara winners have won from wide barriers at the roomy Eagle Farm, including last year's champion Bella Nipotina (gate 15 of 17).
Heathcote said he was yet to book a jockey in the Tatt's Tiara for Abounding, who is a $15 chance for the 1400m race for fillies and mares.
Firestorm ($3.50), Floozie ($4.50) and Tashi ($6) dominate the market, with that trio filling out the top three in the traditional lead-up race, the Dane Ripper Stakes, on June 14.
Harley has been a regular rider for Abounding, although Tommy Berry was in the saddle for last month's Group 3 BRC Sprint (sixth) and then Jason Collett for the Dane Ripper (sixth).
Abounding lunges and finishes best in the Gold Edition Plate. pic.twitter.com/l4ZzE2tEAq
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 16, 2023
'We tried to change our luck by putting Tommy Berry on but he's already got a Sydney ride for this Saturday,' Heathcote said.
'He would've happily taken the ride if he was available. I don't know yet, I'll work on that during the week.
'I'm just hoping we have a change of fortune with barriers but she's good enough to win the Tatt's Tiara, don't worry about that.'
Abounding has won five races from 22 starts and earned almost $2.4m in prizemoney, with the bulk of that haul coming from her thrilling triumph in the $3m Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m) on the Gold Coast in January last year.
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