{"id":88191,"date":"2026-09-04T14:03:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T14:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/88191\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T14:03:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T14:03:10","slug":"ive-got-to-be-honest-why-heathcotes-wary-about-melbourne-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/88191\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I\u2019ve got to be honest\u2019: Why Heathcote\u2019s wary about Melbourne test"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>\n

Queenslander Heathcote<\/a> confesses he thought the Group 3 Chautauqua Stakes<\/a> was being raced over 1200m.<\/p>\n

But with Moonee Valley<\/a> out of action due to track redevelopments, the race is being run over 1300m this year at Sandown<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It is some slight query in the back of Heathcote\u2019s mind, even though he is sure the mare who has previously won in Melbourne and is a Group 1<\/a> placegetter is low flying for her first-up assignment.<\/p>\n

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Abounding<\/a> trialled strongly recently at Eagle Farm<\/a> when only being pipped by Rothfire who will line up on the same card in the Group 1 Moir Stakes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbounding goes great first-up and her work this week has been outstanding,\u201d Heathcote said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019ve got to be honest, I thought this race was 1200(m) but it\u2019s 1300(m) this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe good thing is that she carrying a lot of fitness over from the winter.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe hated the Eagle Farm track in the Stradbroke Handicap<\/a> and the Tatt\u2019s Tiara<\/a> but she has trialled sensationally.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 Rare hand for Pollard as trio makes stable debut in same race<\/a><\/p>\n

Six-year-old Abounding has long been an elite performer for 13-time Group 1 winner Heathcote, knocking off a Group 2<\/a> race at Caulfield<\/a> during last year\u2019s spring carnival.<\/p>\n

She won the Group 3 BRC Sprint<\/a> at Doomben<\/a> during the Queensland winter carnival but then didn\u2019t perform to her best in the Stradbroke or Tatt\u2019s Tiara.<\/p>\n

Abounding, with Blake Shinn<\/a> to ride from the outside barrier 11, is a $10 chance to score the Chautauqua<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Heathcote needs satnav for Rothfire’s Moir mission<\/a><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in Sydney, plenty of eyes will be on Tony Gollan<\/a>\u2019s exciting filly Pembrey<\/a> as she looks to make an Everest<\/a> statement in the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m)<\/a> at Randwick<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pembrey\u2019s stablemate, last year\u2019s Group 1 Toorak Handicap<\/a> champion Transatlantic<\/a>, races on the same card in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes<\/a> over 1400m.<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

\u2022 Gollan flags Everest intent as filly surges into contention<\/a><\/p>\n

Transatlantic has never won first-up in six attempts.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t seem to matter what I do with him first-up, he runs well without winning,\u201d Gollan said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have had him in Class Three Plates (first-up) and he\u2019s been beaten.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have had him in all sorts of races, in the past I have given him one trial, three trials, but he just doesn\u2019t seem to win when resuming. <\/p>\n

\u201cAll I know is that he has got good residual fitness in him from the winter carnival and he trialled really well last week <\/p>\n

\u201cHe will appreciate these spring tracks, I really don\u2019t think he liked the track or the barrier on Stradbroke day and it was all just too much for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut his two previous runs before that were first-class.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is every bit as good, if not better, going into this spring as what he was last spring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Originally published as \u2018I\u2019ve got to be honest\u2019: Why Heathcote\u2019s wary about Abounding\u2019s Melbourne test<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rob Heathcote likes the prospects of terrific fresh performer Abounding in Melbourne on Saturday and he would 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