Brisbane trainer Rob Heathcote confident ironhorse Rothfire will be competitive in Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm

It could be the comeback of the year if Rothfire can spring an upset in Saturday’s Group 2 Victory Stakes, and trainer Robert Heathcote isn’t ruling it out.

Rothfire will have his first run of the year in the Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography

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.

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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.”

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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.

Robert Heathcote wants a track with some give for Rothfire. Picture: Kevin Farmer

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.”

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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.”

Heathcote will watch the Victory Stakes from Rockhampton, where his gelding Cosmo Centaurus will run in Sunday’s $1m The Archer (1300m) slot race.

Originally published as Brisbane trainer Rob Heathcote confident ironhorse Rothfire will be competitive in Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm