Prince Of Boom set for QTIS Jewel triumph

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Rob Heathcote has dismissed Gold Coast as his hoodoo track and is confident Prince Of Boom can prove critics wrong in the TAB QTIS 3YO Jewel on Saturday.

The five-time Brisbane premiership winner is also hopeful of erasing memories of QTIS Jewel day two years ago.

Heathcote’s Group 1 winner Rothfire went into the QTIS 2YO Jewel an odds-on favourite in 2020 but was swamped by Toowoomba filly Kisukano in an upset win.

He also saddled up Guntantes in the QTIS 3YO Jewel the same day but the daughter of Rothesay - rated one of Queensland’s best three-year-old at the time – finished seventh to the Kelly Schweida-trained The Odyssey on a rain-affected track.

Heathcote doesn’t have a runner in this year’s two-year-old feature but Prince Of Boom will be out change the Eagle Farm trainer’s Gold Coast fortunes in the 3YO Jewel.

“It’s not a hoodoo track as I did win a $1 million race at the Gold Coast with a horse called Buffering a few years ago,” Heathcote said.

“But, the Gold Coast is a quirky track.

“Rothfire ran a great race in the Jewel two years ago but was beaten by Kisukano who was a superior horse in the wet.”

Heathcote is delighted with Prince Of Boom since the gelding made a spectacular comeback following throat surgery to win The Jewel Prelude at Toowoomba on March 5.

It was the gelding’s first start since finishing fourth to stable-mate Startantes at Doomben last September.

Startantes has subsequently gone on to finish third in the Group 1 Flight Stakes and second in the Group 1 Surround Stakes in Sydney.

Heathcote’s major concern with Prince Of Boom prior to his comeback win was how he would cope under race pressure following his wind operation.

“He’s a Group 2 winner after he won the Champagne Classic last year,” Heathcote said.

“It was extremely satisfying to see him return as well as he did at Toowoomba.

“He ran two nice fourths last campaign before he had a tie-back operation which appears to have been very successful.

“I expected him to do better in those two fourths so I had him scoped and found he had a wind problem which needed a tie-back operation.

“I haven’t done much with him since his Toowoomba win as most of his preparation for The Jewel had been done before the Prelude win.”