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Can Mosshiki give Heathcote a second Grand Prix?

20 December 2019

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By Glenn Davis

Trainer Rob Heathcote is hoping his luck with the offspring of Mossman can continue when Mosshiki attempts to give him his second Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Heathcote, a five-times winner of the Brisbane trainers’ premiership, won the Grand Prix with Bell Academy in 2008 when the feature was run during the Brisbane winter carnival.

Heathcote has trained many of Mossman’s offspring with his best performer being multiple Group 1 winner Buffering, who won $7.3 million in prizemoney, with 20 wins and 17 placings during a 55-start career.

He also prepared Hopfgarten, another son of Mossman, who won almost $900,000 in prizemoney with 13 wins in 62 starts including the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic at Eagle Farm and Group 3 Sunshine Coast Guineas in 2014.

Mosshiki strolled home to win his maiden over 1625 metres by more than three lengths at Toowoomba last month before stepping up in distance to 2000 metres in a heat of the Eagle Way Series at Eagle Farm on December 7.

Although he could only manage fifth, Heathcote was far from disappointed with the effort.

“There’s some doubt about him getting 2200 metres as Mossman’s don’t normally get the trip,” Heathcote said.

“But I don’t see this race as a genuine staying race and he’s a good each-way chance in an open field.

“I thought his last run was very good as he struck interference on the home turn which I thought knocked him out of the race.”

Jockey Jim Byrne was to ride Mosshiki before he was injured in a fall at Doomben on Wednesday and has been replaced by Michael Rodd.  

Mosshiki is eligible for next month’s Magic Millions but Heathcote believes there’s no suitable races for him.

Heathcote has only one other Eagle Farm runner and is confident Guntantes can complete a hat-trick of wins in the QTIS City To Surf Plate (1600m).

Guntantes is one of the State’s top three-year-olds and made it four wins from 11 starts when he won against his own age over 1615 metres at Doomben on November 23.

“At set weights he’s favourable weighted against the others,” Heathcote said.

“He hasn’t run for a month but he trialled well on Tuesday.”

Heathcote is looking towards the Brisbane winter carnival next year with Guntantes as he’s ineligible for the Magic Millions at the Gold Coast in January.

His main winter mission will be the Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) at Eagle Farm in June.

Racing Queensland webnews    December 20