Now affordable + accessible – Trainer Robert Heathcote has been one of the leading trainers in Queensland for over 20 years. Since 1997, Robert has trained over 1,350 winners and has been named the Queensland Trainer of the Year on several occasions, collecting in excess of $44 million AUD in prize money so far throughout his career. His Group One winners tally now sits at an impressive 10, with Buffering, the all-time stable star having 7 to his name.
Two of these Group 1 victories stood out most for Robert Heathcote and his training team: his first Group 1 win in the Manikato Stakes, and the biggest win of his career in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai.
Buffering was purchased for just $22,000 at the 2009 Magic Millions QTIS 600 Yearling Sale by trainer Robert Heathcote. He found immediate success, impressively winning his first four starts as a two-year-old. In his fifth start, Buffering had his first start at stakes level, finishing third in the Group 2 Bollinger Champagne Classic with future Group 1 winners Pressday and Spirit of Boom finishing ahead of him.
Buffering‘s first group win came in the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes at Randwick in his ninth start. Two starts later as a three-year-old, Buffering ran in his first Group 1 race, the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington finishing fourth on Victoria Derby Day.
Following the Coolmore Stud Stakes, he competed in a further 16 Group 1 races before he won one, with the legendary Black Caviar and Sepoy among the horses that defeated Buffering during this time. Of the first 17 Group 1 races he competed in, he placed in ten before clinging on to win his first Group 1 in October 2013 in the Manikato Stakes. Watch the replay of his first Group 1 win below, along with Heathcote’s comments following the win:
Buffering went on to win Group 1 races at his next two starts, winning the VRC Sprint Classic and the Winterbottom Stakes. Following his Winterbottom Stakes win, Buffering failed to win in his next three Group 1 starts so was put out for a spell. As a seven-year-old, he defended his Group 1 Moir Stakes title before being defeated in his next two runs. Unfortunately the gelding was struck down with injury and illness for much of his seven-year-old season, as he was forced to miss the Sydney Autumn and Brisbane Winter carnivals for the first time in his career.
He returned as an eight-year-old in Spring 2015, and won first up in the Moir Stakes making him a three-time winner. He was then sent to Perth where he won the Winterbottom Stakes for the second time, before racing at the Gold Coast Magic Millions Carnival in January 2016 where he won the Magic Millions QTIS Open Plate.
Buffering headed to Dubai in March 2016 for the Dubai World Cup Night Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint, where he won his first international race as a $9 chance. The Al Quoz Sprint victory was the biggest win in his career for the gelding at the age of eight, and was his 7th Group 1 victory. View the race replay and celebrations by the Heathcote team following the victory in the videos below:
Buffering was retired in October 2016 as the highest-earning Queensland bred racehorse of all time. He is still the most successful horse to be trained by Robert Heathcote. Over his 6 year racing career, he earnt over $7m in prize money, and lives on as one of the greatest Australian racehorses of all time.
Own a premium thoroughbred with leading QLD trainer of Buffering, Robert Heathcote
You now have the opportunity to afford your share in a premium thoroughbred trained by Robert Heathcote. Now is the time to buy in to the beautiful Written Tycoon x Sponsored filly, who is trained out of Heathcote’s Eagle Farm stables. Her pedigree is certainly one to be admired, and being by the well-known Written Tycoon, we can see her running early.
Robert believes that owners are the most important people in racing, and some he has had from the first year he started training. This is a clear testament to his great communication, regular updates and his very approachable personality that makes owners feel like they are part of the ‘racing family’. Listen to Robert speak about the Written Tycoon x Sponsored below:
Units are available for just $176 upfront and $15 in recurring monthly fees. For any additional units purchased in this filly, the monthly fee is reduced to just $5. Join Robert Heathcote and the Written Tycoon x Sponsored filly now on the journey of premium thoroughbred ownership!
