Rothfire chases sentimental victory in Magic Millions Buffering | Just horse racing

It will obviously be a fitting result if Rothfire were to win the $300,000 Magic Millions Buffering at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

It would be a case of the long-retired Buffering, who was Queensland Horse of the Year several times and after whom the race is named, giving the horse that took over his mantle in Robert Heathcote’s stable a nod of approval.

Saturday’s race has given Rothfire an extra boost beyond nostalgia, as a victory in the Buffering will earn Rothfire a wildcard entry into the $2 million Magic Millions Cup on January 17, Magic Millions Day.

That outcome would give Rothfire’s connections their dream summer season, but the truth is that the Buffering/Magic Millions Cup double is a very big ask.

For the second step to become a reality, Rothfire must win the Buffering… and that in itself poses a very real challenge for Rothesay’s son.

The Tony Gollan-trained Rockribbed, who beat Rothfire by 0.70 lengths at home in the Lough Neagh Stakes on the same weight conditions as they meet on Saturday, could be the best of the local rivals Rothfire will face, but it’s the big visiting trainers, sending out more than half the field, who will try to swamp the locals and take the prize money back on the highway… and most have brought their own jockeys in the quest to help with this.

These threats include:

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained The Three Hundred who won the Magic Millions Wyong 3YO & 4YO Stakes. The four-year-old is ridden by Tim Clark.

The Tuned, trained by Annabel and Rob Archibald, won The Gateway. The four-year-old is ridden by Daniel Moor.

Bjorn Baker saddles two runners… Robusto, who has a Group 2 win at The Ingham, and Sandpaper. They are ridden by Joshua Parr and Kerrin McEvoy respectively.

Peter Snowden, whose runners are always able to get the result, brings Need Some Luck to Brisbane. Tommy Berry will be in the saddle… and last but not least, Ciaron Maher has Zaszou in the Buffering line-up, with Craig Williams taking the ride.

That’s about as formidable a number of visiting trainers and jockeys as you’re likely to encounter. They arrive with intent, so Rothfire, who is ridden by Ben Thompson, and Rockribbed (Ryan Maloney) will have to push back hard if they want to score one for the locals.

They do have support in the form of other local trainers in the form of Mark Currie, who saddles Tavs (Angela Jones) who has won two of his last three starts, both in a listed company… Paul Jenkins, who saddles I Am Artie (Mark Du Plessis)… and Kelly Schweida, who saddles El Morzillo, who could be the dark horse in the race if he can regain the form that took him to victory in the Inglis Sprint in March in Flemington, especially with the very in-form Jason Collett to drive. Collett rode four winners at Eagle Farm last Saturday.

Which brings us back to Rothfire and his chance for a special victory.

The race is as competitive as it gets and Rothfire loves a fight. He gets one here just for the sake of getting into the game because a fighter, well-intentioned or not, can always deliver a knockout blow.

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