Heathcote hopes Guntantes' long losing streak will end at Doomben on Saturday

By Glenn Davis

As Rob Heathcote ponders an international campaign with Rothfire, one of the longest droughts experienced by his stable with a former star could end at Doomben on Saturday.

Rothfire, a Luke Nolen mount, is set to clash with the world’s best sprinter Nature Strip and The Everest winner Giga Kick in the Group 1 Darley Champions Sprint at Flemington.

While back home in Brisbane, Guntantes will be looking to end a three-year losing streak in the Class 6 Plate over 1350 metres.

Heathcote has booked a flight to Perth for Rothfire to tackle the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes on November 26 after which a decision will be made whether he heads to Dubai for the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint.

Heathcote’s former champion sprinter Buffering won the international feature in 2016.

“Dubai depends on how Rothfire goes up the straight at Flemington,” Heathcote said.

“He has to tick the box of handling it and I’m confident he will.

“His run in the Manikato shows he’s going good.”

Meanwhile, Heathcote is hopeful Guntantes can break through for his first win since claiming a three-year-old race in December, 2019.

Guntantes will be third-up after making his return with a fast finishing sixth to the Tony Gollan-trained Le Palmier in an unsuitable 1000 metre Class 6 at Eagle Farm on October 8.

That run was prior to a third placed effort in a Class 6 over 1200 metres at Doomben on October 22.

Guntantes was once rated one of the state’s best three-year-olds, after winning five of his first 12 starts.

However, the now six-year-old lost form due to a number of physical issues.

Despite the long run of outs, the signs are promising Guntantes could soon turn it around following his placing in a Class 6 over 1200 metres at Doomben last month.

“Guntantes is a very good horse but he’s had his share of issues,” Heathcote said.

“He’s slowly coming back to his best and his first two runs back have been good.

“He’s working up for a nice performance and going to 1350 metres will really suit him.”

Guntantes comes from one of Queensland’s famous breeding families - being by Just Awesome out of Cantantes - who did not stand out on on the race track before becoming a star in the breeding barn.

Cantantes was one of the state’s best broodmares, producing the winners of more than 50 races over the past two decades, before she died a few years ago.

Heathcote has trained just about all of Cantantes’ off spring, including the well performed Funtantes, the dam of his rising star Startantes, winner of the Group 1 Tatt’s Tiara at Eagle Farm during the winter.

Startantes also placed in the Group 1 Flight Stakes in Sydney last year before finishing second in the Group 1 Surround Stakes at Randwick in April.