Trainer Rob Heathcote gives Eagle Farm the thumbs up after treble

TRAINER Rob Heathcote gave the Eagle Farm track a glowing endorsement and apprentice Tiffani Brooker high praise after his winning treble on Saturday.

Trainer Rob Heathcote prepared a treble at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

TRAINER Rob Heathcote gave the Eagle Farm track a glowing endorsement and apprentice jockey Tiffani Brooker high praise after his winning Brisbane treble on Saturday.

Heathcote and many others were critical of the way the track performed when it reopened earlier this year but he has now changed his tune.

Heathcote was all smiles after he initially considered running Punta Norte and Saluter in the same 1400m race at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

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But he split them up in different races and they both won, with Beckoning Light later giving Heathcote the third link of his winning treble.

Heathcote was particularly delighted with Brooker’s ride on Saluter.

It was just the second Saturday metropolitan winner for the 3kg-claiming apprentice and she did not panic when Flying Riddle surged.

“I really want to give her a pat on the back,” Heathcote said. “She got headed on Saluter, but didn’t panic and she pushed the go button at exactly the right time. Saluter really runs for the girls and the 3kg claim helped too. Tiff Brooker gave him a lovely ride.

“Eagle Farm has now really bounced back and it is racing brilliantly.”

Saluter has won more than $1 million in prizemoney and Heathcote indicated patience was the key to the gelding’s success and longevity.

He was happy he had sent Saluter and Punta Norte to different races.

“The secret to Saluter is the great patience from the owners, they have been brilliant and allowed me to give him breaks whenever we have needed to,” Heathcote said. “I had Saluter nominated for a 1400m race but things worked out well because Punta Norte won that race.”

â–  A betting plunge was brought undone when back-to-form filly Frequendly held off Desert Man in the Class 6 Plate at Eagle Farm.

Desert Man, first-up for the Kelly Schweida stable since May last year, was sensationally backed from $9 Saturday morning into $3.20 with UBET just before the race.

The gelding has been off the scene for ages but had showed talent as a juvenile and was backed as if almost unbeatable on Saturday. But the plunge went astray when Desert Man had a luckless run, finishing second behind Frequendly which kept kicking in the lead in the straight.

There was a time when trainer Les Ross had been so frustrated with Frequendly that he was going to send her to the breeding barn. But a win at Doomben in July at more than 50-1 kept the breeding barn at bay and there was great pride at another win in fast time.

Originally published as Trainer Rob Heathcote gives Eagle Farm the thumbs up after treble