Latest news with #Heathcote
Herald Sun
5 days ago
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Rob Heathcote still hopeful Rothfire can recover in time for Stradbroke Handicap
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Recovering Rothfire is some chance of conjuring a Stradbroke Handicap 'miracle' after improving 'enormously' when a foot infection broke. Trainer Rob Heathcote said his remarkable Group 1 warrior is a 'slim chance' to line up in the Stradbroke on Saturday week but his prospects have improved. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Heathcote gave Racenet permission to publish video of Rothfire swimming and walking and also an image of the area of concern in his hoof. 'Rothfire has improved enormously, he was swimming this morning,' Heathcote told Racenet. 'The infection was tracked to a coronet band (soft, fleshy area at the top of the hoof where the hoof wall grows) and it (the infection) broke out. 'He's not 100 per cent, but improved enormously when this happened. 'It was a miracle that he raced on earlier in his career after sesamoid fractures and surgery. 'He now needs another miracle to make the race. 'He will not run unless 100 per cent sound. 'I am still happy with his fitness levels.' Heathcote said Rothfire would still need to pass vet and stewards checks but if he continued to improve in the next 48 hours, he was a chance to take his place in the Group 1 Stradbroke on Saturday week. Rothfire is recovering from a hoof infection. Pictures: Trackside Photography, Rob Heathcote stable Seven-year-old marvel Rothfire, coined the 'Thriller from Chinchilla', turned back the clock when producing an incredible run in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 to only narrowly be beaten by Sunshine In Paris. But he then suffered what Heathcote initially believed was a stone bruise. In latest betting, Rothfire is a $26 chance in the Stradbroke on Saturday week. He had been slated to race in the Kingsford Smith Cup, which was originally meant to be raced last Saturday, until the issue surfaced. Originally published as Rob Heathcote still hopeful Rothfire can recover in time for Stradbroke Handicap
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
‘They're buzzing everywhere': Inside the town hit by a fly infestation
A dark cloud hangs over Royal Leamington Spa, in Warwickshire. If you look closely, it's not raindrops gathering, but millions of small black flies that residents say are making their lives a misery. Abigail and her partner Paul bought their home in the suburb of Heathcote last year. They had no idea they would soon be sharing it with a swarm of uninvited visitors. At 10.30am on Wednesday, Abigail hung a strip of fly paper in her kitchen – as she does every morning. By midday it was speckled with dozens of dead or dying flies that had found their way into the house. Abigail says it is costing her at least £12 a week in fly-prevention measures, from sprays and electric fly-zappers to the screen on the back door. She worries about the effect all those chemicals are having on her six-year-old daughter. Her next-door neighbour hasn't opened her curtains for weeks since the infestation began – they all dread the coming of summer. Abigail and her family are currently in the process of renovating their home and the doors are open much of the day. 'We moved in the winter and no one warned us,' she says. 'We found out for ourselves at the end of February – that was when things changed. The flies have been everywhere constantly since then. They are there when you get something to eat. We daren't open the windows upstairs.' There is also something else in the air in Heathcote: the constant smell of rubbish emanating from a recycling plant at the centre of a sprawling industrial estate. This is the epicentre of the infestation according to local residents, who have been plagued by flies since it opened three years ago. The Amcor plant, which processes 50,000 tonnes of kerbside-collected plastic waste each week, says it has passed all environmental and health checks, but complaints led by Matt Western, the MP for Warwick and Leamington Spa, to warn in the House of Commons of a 'public health risk'. There's something else in the air in Heathcote: the persistent smell of rubbish wafting from a recycling plant at the centre of a sprawling industrial estate. According to local residents, this is the epicentre of an infestation that has plagued the area with flies every spring since the facility opened three years ago. The Amcor plant, which processes 50,000 tonnes of kerbside-collected plastic waste each week, says it has passed all environmental and health checks. But complaints have continued, prompting Matt Western, MP for Warwick and Leamington Spa, to raise concerns in the House of Commons about a potential 'public health risk.' Amcor, formerly known as Berry Circular Polymers, says there is no proven link between the activities at the site and the swarms of flies, which have appeared every spring for the past three years. The streets around Amcor's towering, seemingly spotless stainless-steel plant are named after characters created by William Shakespeare, who lived just a few miles away in Stratford-upon-Avon. Fittingly, it is in Othello that the Bard mentions the 'summer flies in the shambles' – the grim market stalls where butchers once disembowelled animals and processed offal. It's surely coincidence that Othello Avenue lies just a street away, not far from Orsino Close, Shylock Grove and Calpurnia Avenue. In the Royal Horse pub, a group of five elderly women are enjoying their first visit in three years. They had stayed away after their last meal together was ruined by flies. Pat Weake, 85, only booked the table this time after checking whether the problem had been resolved. 'I was told there was, but it hasn't been as bad [recently] so we decided to take a chance,' she says. Thus far their meal hadn't been disturbed by anything more annoying than a Telegraph journalist, but it was still early in the day and they were ready to make a run for it if necessary. Tony Woodcock, 28, and his partner Abbie Sweet are among the area's newer residents, drawn like many young couples to Heathcote's affordable homes. But no one, Tony says, warned them they might be sharing their new life with a swarm of flying insects. Both he and Abbie suffer from respiratory issues, and shortly after moving in, she ended up in A&E with breathing difficulties. They don't know whether the Amcor plant is to blame, but they've begun to wonder if they should have stayed in Lillington, a nearby village where, Tony says, the air was 'pure and sweet'. 'We have a three-year-old daughter and it was a very small flat,' he adds. Tony works wrapping kitchens in vinyl to give them a fresh look at modest cost. Now, he's turning his attention to something more urgent: designing a fly screen using the same skills. Catherine McIntyre, 41, who lives nearby, is dreading the arrival of peak summer. 'It was really bad last year,' the mother of three explains. 'They were getting into the bedroom and everywhere.' At Stagecoach's Leamington Spa bus depot, where vehicles are cleaned before setting off across the country, one driver reported having to deal with more than a dozen flies before he could start his route. Meanwhile, Matt Western painted a grim picture when he raised the issue in Parliament. 'Imagine being in your own home and unable to eat with your family, unable to leave food for even a minute without your kitchen being swarmed with flies, and unable to sleep in your own bed without flies landing on your face,' he said. 'Imagine flies everywhere, in every room of your house, in business premises, in pubs, in restaurants and in takeaways, and vile odours permeating your life, whether at home, walking the streets or driving your car. 'That is the reality for hundreds of families in one part of my constituency. I estimate that as many as 10,000 – if not more – of my constituents are impacted by this. 'This is not just a minor inconvenience; this is ruining people's lives. 'People are getting ill, and some residents are actually selling up. Then there is the all-pervasive foul-smelling odour. Constituents describe the smell as being like 'raw sewage'. They say it is 'sulphuric' and 'toxic'. Many have told me that the smell is utterly unbearable.' An Environment Agency spokesperson confirmed that the Amcor site had been inspected four times since April 1, and apart from a minor breach of 'management techniques', no issues had been found. No one was available for comment yesterday, but a spokesperson for Berry Circular Polymers (now Amcor) had previously stated: 'We take these concerns extremely seriously and although both ourselves and our regulators cannot find a substantial causal link, we are committed to ensuring we do not negatively impact Warwickshire residents.' Few agree. The only ones who don't seem to mind are the flies.
Daily Mail
03-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
We live in posh town invaded by flies - it's gotten so bad we're scared our babies might choke to death
Residents of a posh royal town have been plagued by a 'nightmarish' invasion of flies which swarm their homes each summer, making their lives 'absolute hell'. Homeowners in Leamington Spa have described being left trapped indoors by the infestation of flies which crawl in people's mouths and 'choke babies in cots'. Those living around the Heathcote area say they cannot go in their gardens and have resorted to filling their homes with fly strips and zappers, while others have spent thousands on fly screens for their home. Parents are draping fly nets over cots, children can't eat dinner without the insects crawling into their mouths and others have reported falling ill due to the swarms of winged creatures blighting the area. The problem has become so unbearable that some locals have sold up and moved out of the Regency town, which has a population of just over 50,000. The matter was recently debated in Parliament by Warwick and Leamington MP Matt Western who branded the issue, affecting around 10,000 people, a 'public health risk'. Locals say the problem began around three years ago but has got progressively worse - with more flies and a disgusting raw sewage smell descending on the area. They blame a nearby recycling plant owned by Amcor, formerly known as Berry Circular Polymers, which is regulated by the Environment Agency. Foster mum Maureen Kerr, 64, has lived in the area for three years and said trouble only started after the new plant was opened. The 64-year-old gran-of-six said: 'We foster babies from birth and have had to put nets over their cots and chairs. 'They go full pelt at you and you can't do anything. Especially when the babies are laying there after milk, it's awful - they try and swarm them. 'We started off with fly spray not realising why we had so many. Then we had fly papers and those fly zappers. 'We have to keep changing them. It got so bad there were 50 flies on them over 24 hours. 'The smell is terrible. Our next door neighbour moved because she couldn't stand it. I just keep the windows and doors shut to stop the flies. 'One man spent thousands on fly screens. We've only lived here for three years and the first year was absolutely fine. But then all this started in the second year.' Retired primary school teacher Diljeet Kang, 65, said once the flies swarm indoors it's nearly impossible to get them out again. The gran-of-six said: 'It's not just the flies, it's the horrendous, nasty odour as well. When the summer starts you can't open the windows for the smell and the flies. 'The smell is just awful. I haven't opened up my windows. It gets worse and worse as the warmer months. I daren't open them if the flies come in. 'They're tiny ones, really fast. You can't even swat them. Once they get in it's hard to get them out. 'Everyone on the street is complaining about it. The amount of people that have sold their houses on the road because of that. 'We can't go out and enjoy our barbecues either because the flies will swarm the meat and get us ill.' Richard Manly, 37, a local welder, added: 'It's been really nightmarish really, these flies have left people gagging and choking, even kids and babies in their cots and beds. 'Drivers and cyclists have been sick getting a mouthful while going down the street, some are being sick. It's a crazy situation and we can't believe it's been allowed to go on. 'I got to Wickes quite often and workers say customers are staying away because of the smell. I know pubs, restaurants and other businesses have a similar issues because of both the flies and the smell.' Retired cleaning company owner Robert Horely said the stench was enough to take his breath away when he left his house. The 69-year-old dad-of-one said: 'We have the problem every year and it lasts for months. 'We have fly strips hanging down that are covered, you can't see a space on them, it's that bad. You can't go outside in the summer, when you do there's flies around you. You can't eat outside. 'Local pubs were having problems. A family went for a meal and they had to abandon their food as the flies were all over their food. 'They come in and get everywhere. People have been struggling to sleep as there's flies crawling all over you. How do you get them out? 'Plus this smell which again appears to be coming from the same site. It's not a very pleasant smell, and quite strong at times. It's between a gone off, eggy disinfectant-type smell and chlorine. 'There's been a couple times where I've opened the front door and it's taken my breath away it's that smelly. It's a health and safety issue. 'The council and environment agency keep playing ping pong, it's back and forth between them. One of the biggest queries is how did it get planning permission in the first place.' Retired law teacher Kevin Shanahan, 64, added: 'It's the recycling business. Someone said the waste comes dirty and it attracts the flies. 'A man who works nearby to the unit says the plastic is brought in dirty and then it's left outside to fester. The smell is quite repulsive. 'We can't enjoy our homes as we can't go in our gardens or open the windows because of the flies and the smell.' Addressing parliament two weeks ago, Mr Western said: 'Imagine being in your own home and unable to eat with your family, unable to leave food for even a minute without your kitchen being swarmed with flies, and unable to sleep in your own bed without flies landing on your face. 'Imagine flies everywhere, in every room of your house, in business premises, in pubs, in restaurants and in takeaways, and vile odours permeating your life whether at home, walking the streets or driving your car. 'That is the reality for hundreds of families in one part my constituency. 'I estimate that as many as 10,000-if not more-of my constituents in south Warwick, south Leamington and Whitnash are impacted by this. 'They have faced swarms of flies and foul odours for three years running. Their houses are infested with flies. They are unable to open their windows for fear of swarms entering their home. 'They are unable to prepare food in their kitchen without the constant cleaning of their work surfaces to clean off the fly excrement, which also adheres to their walls. 'Would any Member of this House be satisfied with their family living like that? This is not just a minor inconvenience; this is ruining people's lives. 'People are getting ill, and some residents are actually selling up. 'Then there is the all-pervasive foul-smelling odour. Constituents describe the smell as being like "raw sewage". They say it is "sulphuric" and "toxic". 'Many have told me that the smell is utterly unbearable.' A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: 'We are committed to ensuring that people and the environment are protected. 'This includes regularly inspecting permitted sites in the Leamington Spa area and requiring operators to make improvements where they are required. 'Since April 1st we have inspected the Berry Circular Polymers site 4 times and identified a Category 3 (minor) breach of the permit as they were not following their prescribed management techniques. 'We encourage residents to continue to report environmental issues via our 24/7 hotline on 0800 807060 to help with our investigations.' A spokesperson for Berry Circular Polymers said previously: 'We take these concerns extremely seriously and although both ourselves and our regulators cannot find a substantial causal link, we are committed to ensuring we do not negatively impact Warwickshire residents.'
Courier-Mail
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
2025 Doomben 10,000: Old warrior Rothfire game in defeat
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. 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. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! '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.' • 'Hell of a fright': J-Mac digs deep to deny local hero in Doomben 10,000 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.' • Big Bets Review: Classy import Sir Delius burns bookies with Doomben romp 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
News.com.au
30-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Brisbane trainer Rob Heathcote confident ironhorse Rothfire will be competitive in Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm
It could be Queensland racing's comeback of the year if old warrior Rothfire wins Saturday's $300,000 Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm but trainer Rob Heathcote will never write off this champion. The seven-year-old gelding will make his first race appearance of 2025 when he competes against a stacked field in the Victory Stakes on the opening day of the Queensland winter carnival. He will go up against the likes of Tony Gollan-trained stars Hidden Wealth and Freedom Rally, Group 1-winning mare Lady Laguna and The Kosciuszko champion Far Too Easy, who will be ridden by top jockey Craig Williams. TAB has posted Hidden Wealth as the early $5 favourite ahead of the Chris Waller-trained Coleman and David McColm's Far Too Easy (both $5.50), with Rothfire paying $18 on Wednesday afternoon. 'It's a quality field but that's to be expected for a $300,000 race,' Heathcote said. 'I've said it a thousand times with my old boy Rothfire, there's no doubting his ability. 'I need a track that's not too firm and he'll be competitive. It's just his nature, he doesn't know how to be non-competitive.' This is likely to be the final winter carnival for Rothfire, the winner of 10 of 32 races, including the 2020 Group 1 JJ Atkins (1400m), given his well-documented battle with career-threatening injuries. It was nearly all over for Rothfire in September 2020 when he suffered a severe sesamoid injury but the ironhorse made a miraculous comeback to racing just 12 months later. Heathcote also has high hopes in the Victory Stakes for his four-year-old mare Abounding, who finished seventh in her last start, the $2m Magic Millions Cup (1400m) on the Gold Coast on January 17, although she has drawn awkwardly in barrier 13 for Saturday. 'She's going super. The 1200m is probably going to be a shade on the sharp side for her but last preparation she ran a cracker first-up,' Heathcote said. 'She won a Listed fillies and mares race first-up over 1200m, the Tatts Classic (in late November), and she was really strong late. 'I'm expecting a good run from her on Saturday. She didn't have a lot of luck in her subsequent two runs – the Nudgee Listed (on December 28) and the Magic Millions Cup down on the Gold Coast – but she's quality plus and she'll run a big race.' Heathcote nominated five-year-old gelding Hidden Wealth, the winner of more than $1.4m in prizemoney, as 'clearly the one to beat' in the Victory Stakes, which Gollan won last year with his stable star Antino. 'You don't just have to beat Tony Gollan, you've got Annabel Neasham, Chris Waller and James Cummings,' Heathcote said of the top trainers looking for an early scalp in the winter carnival. 'You need to have your horses in the best order to be competitive against this lot.' Cosmo Centaurus will run in Sunday's $1m The Archer (1300m) slot race.
