Brisbane trainer Rob Heathcote eyes Melbourne spring targets for grand campaigner Rothfire

Having stabled the Stradbroke Handicap winner War Machine for the Hayes team, Brisbane trainer Rob Heathcote hopes the three brothers can return the favour this spring when he likely takes his old gladiator Rothfire to Melbourne to hunt Group 1 glory.

Trainer Rob Heathcote with Rothfire last week. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Having stabled the Stradbroke Handicap winner War Machine for the Hayes team, Brisbane trainer Rob Heathcote hopes the three brothers can return the favour this spring when he likely takes his old gladiator Rothfire to Melbourne to hunt Group 1 glory.

The seven-year-old gelding had a horrible lead-up to the $3m Stradbroke over 1400m at Eagle Farm last Saturday.

Firstly, the 2020 JJ Atkins champion suffered a stone bruise just 10 days before Queensland’s premier race and battled to even make the field.

He was forced to run on a firm track – his least favourite surface – and then champion jockey James McDonald was sick during the week and was unable to ride Rothfire at 55.5kg, meaning Craig Williams received a late call-up.

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Heathcote watched and heard a few horses galloping on the firm track early in the morning on Stradbroke Day and said he immediately thought “oh, I’m in trouble here”.

He contemplated scratching his stable star but opted to push on, with Rothfire running seventh, just three lengths behind the Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained favourite War Machine.

In another slice of bad luck, Williams copped a two-week suspension for careless riding in the Straddie.

War Machine WINS the G1 Stradbroke Handicap! 🏆

Tim Clark with a flawless performance in the saddle! pic.twitter.com/oDuyB1gLJN

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 14, 2025

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“The good news is that Rothfire has pulled up fine and will go to the paddock now,” Heathcote said.

“He’s done his job. I mean his run was huge and unfortunately for him, the track was just too firm.

“He was charging to the line and then he just feels that track. As Craig said, he could feel him wanting to let down but he just couldn’t.

“He’ll have a break now and I’ll have a very close study of available races.

“I’m not really sure what races I’ll target but obviously there are plenty of Group 1s and he races well at Moonee Valley.

“I’ve now got to look at races with a bit of give in the ground.”

Sunshine In Paris (right) edges out Rothfire in a thrilling Group 1 Doomben 10,000. Picture: Grant Peters / Trackside Photography

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Heathcote could possibly send Rothfire to the $750,000 Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) and then into the $2m Manikato Stakes (1200m), both at The Valley in September.

“I’d like him to have a two or three-run prep, either in Sydney or Melbourne,” said Heathcote, who won the 2013 Manikato with his superstar Buffering.

“The advantage with me going to Melbourne is that I have a good relationship with the Hayes boys.

“Their Stradbroke winner (War Machine) stayed with me. He was stabled not far from Rothfire.

“The boys were pretty happy, Ben (Hayes) was at my stable on Sunday morning.”

Too good J-Mac! He lifts Sunshine In Paris to victory in the Doomben 10,000 💪 @[e-mail]/DJaWJwBHJI

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 17, 2025

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Heathcote believed that Rothfire would have “gone close” to winning the Stradbroke if not for the untimely injury, which put the tough-as-nails gelding out of work for several days.

“He’s been such a wonderful horse,” Heathcote said of the ‘Thriller from Chinchilla’, who fought back from a potentially career-ending sesamoid injury in 2020.

“If he didn’t have that stone bruise he would’ve gone close (to winning the Stradbroke).

“I had even considered scratching Rothfire. But his run was huge and full of courage on a track too firm, plus he missed that bit of work.”

Rothfire has shown his trademark grit in his three races this campaign - an impressive fourth in the Group 2 Victory Stakes, a tremendous runner-up finish to star mare Sunshine In Paris in the Doomben 10,000 major and finally his Stradbroke result when he had excuses.

Originally published as Brisbane trainer Rob Heathcote eyes Melbourne spring targets for grand campaigner Rothfire