Rob Heathcote likes the prospects of terrific fresh performer Abounding in Melbourne on Saturday and he would like them even more but for one reason.

Queenslander Heathcote confesses he thought the Group 3 Chautauqua Stakes was being raced over 1200m.

But with Moonee Valley out of action due to track redevelopments, the race is being run over 1300m this year at Sandown.

It is some slight query in the back of Heathcote’s mind, even though he is sure the mare who has previously won in Melbourne and is a Group 1 placegetter is low flying for her first-up assignment.

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Abounding trialled strongly recently at Eagle Farm when only being pipped by Rothfire who will line up on the same card in the Group 1 Moir Stakes.

“Abounding goes great first-up and her work this week has been outstanding,” Heathcote said.

“But I’ve got to be honest, I thought this race was 1200(m) but it’s 1300(m) this year.

“The good thing is that she carrying a lot of fitness over from the winter.

“She hated the Eagle Farm track in the Stradbroke Handicap and the Tatt’s Tiara but she has trialled sensationally.”

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Six-year-old Abounding has long been an elite performer for 13-time Group 1 winner Heathcote, knocking off a Group 2 race at Caulfield during last year’s spring carnival.

She won the Group 3 BRC Sprint at Doomben during the Queensland winter carnival but then didn’t perform to her best in the Stradbroke or Tatt’s Tiara.

Abounding, with Blake Shinn to ride from the outside barrier 11, is a $10 chance to score the Chautauqua.

It will be a big 35 minutes for the Heathcote camp, with Rothfire a $23 chance to knock off another Group 1 in the Moir.

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Meanwhile, in Sydney, plenty of eyes will be on Tony Gollan’s exciting filly Pembrey as she looks to make an Everest statement in the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.

Pembrey’s stablemate, last year’s Group 1 Toorak Handicap champion Transatlantic, races on the same card in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes over 1400m.

Transatlantic, last seen when struggling from a wide barrier in the Stradbroke, is a $10 chance but his prospects come with a strong word of warning from Gollan.

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Transatlantic has never won first-up in six attempts.

“It doesn’t seem to matter what I do with him first-up, he runs well without winning,” Gollan said.

“I have had him in Class Three Plates (first-up) and he’s been beaten.

“I have had him in all sorts of races, in the past I have given him one trial, three trials, but he just doesn’t seem to win when resuming.

“All I know is that he has got good residual fitness in him from the winter carnival and he trialled really well last week

“He will appreciate these spring tracks, I really don’t think he liked the track or the barrier on Stradbroke day and it was all just too much for him.

“But his two previous runs before that were first-class.

“He is every bit as good, if not better, going into this spring as what he was last spring.”

Originally published as ‘I’ve got to be honest’: Why Heathcote’s wary about Abounding’s Melbourne test