Despite success Rob Heathcote and Chris Anderson call quits on partnership

The Rob Heathcote and Chris Anderson training partnership is done and dusted with the two trainers announcing an abrupt end to their single stable experiment.

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The premature end to the fledgling training partnership between Rob Heathcote and Chris Anderson was viewed as a mystery and lost opportunity by some, and entirely predictable by others.

From a Queensland racing fan’s perspective, it is disappointing, as the combined forces had injected some zest into this season’s premiership race, but given the amicable nature of the split, it’s also a mature decision on the part of both parties.

The plug was pulled while their relationship was still solid and before the early cracks that had developed in the business turned into something more sinister.

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Rob Heathcote and Chris Anderson kiss jockey Tegan Harrison after she rode their first winner, Vienna Moon, to victory at Eagle Farm in May. Picture: Grant Peters, Trackside Photography

Heathcote and Anderson announced on Thursday their six-month partnership would end, probably by October 1, despite a flurry of success in its infancy.

The pair went into the partnership on May 1, training a winner on their very first day at Eagle Farm.

They had made a flying start to the new season, currently second on the state and metropolitan premierships, and had a double with Deep Image and Guntantes at Eagle Farm last Saturday, the latter being a quinella, with Profit running second.

Perhaps one of the problems was that it was never a full integration.

Both trainers continued to train from their original stables in the Eagle Farm infield after being unable to strike a deal to have their barns located together. This possibly led to competitive tensions, like the recent clashes between Guntantes and Profit, where honours were shared over their two meetings.

And it seems some of the aims of the merge did not come to fruition.

Rob Heathcote and Chris Anderson have decided to dissolve their training partnership. Picture: AAP/David Clark

Heathcote and Anderson gave it a try, were successful on paper, but decided it wasn’t going to work as a long-term collaboration.

“It’s a level-headed decision taken by us both to go back to our individual businesses,” Heathcote said.

“It comes down to the demands and pressures of the job. I would say the merge hasn’t saved either of us the time we hoped it might.”

Details of where all of the horses will go, including yearlings purchased under the Anderson-Heathcote banner, have already been sorted.

Anderson’s profile undoubtedly lifted with the volume of winners during the partnership and he has secured a number of nice young horses in that time.

It’s now up to him to build on that.

“I have really enjoyed the success we’ve had together the past six months and hopefully both stables will continue to enjoy the same level of success going forward,” Anderson said.

“Our preference is to go back to our previous business structure. It worked better for us individually.”

Heathcote has 56 boxes at Eagle Farm. Anderson has 44.

They have three runners at the Sunshine Coast on Friday, and four at Doomben on Saturday.