Rothfire, a rising nine-year-old racehorse, is preparing for the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1,400m) at Eagle Farm on June 13. The race carries a prize pool of A$3 million [1, 2].
Rothfire drew barrier 13 in the 23-horse field but will start from barrier 12 if no emergencies gain entry. The horse will be ridden by jockey Brad Rawiller, who piloted Rothfire to victory in the recent Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1,200m) on May 16 [1, 2].
Rawiller also rode Rothfire in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Stakes (1,300m) at Eagle Farm on May 30 where the horse finished seventh [1, 2]. Rothfire is the oldest horse to win the Doomben 10,000 and previously claimed a Group 1 win at Eagle Farm in 2020 during the Covid-19 year [1, 2].
Trainer Rob Heathcote described Rothfire as "an old marvel" and "a legend now for what he’s done to have the longest streak, from winning a Group 1 as a two-year-old to winning one as an eight-year-old" [1].
The Stradbroke Handicap will be Rothfire’s fourth attempt at the race. He finished third in 2022, second in 2023, and was unplaced last year [1, 2]. Heathcote called the Stradbroke "our toughest race to win, no doubt and it’s one of the toughest handicap races in Australia... I know how tough it is because I’ve run second in it three times" [1].
Heathcote also trains Abounding, a five-year-old daughter of Rich Enuff and last-start winner of the Group 3 BRC Sprint (1,350m). Abounding will contest Saturday’s Stradbroke Handicap from barrier 15 [1, 2].
On June 9, Rothfire worked well at Eagle Farm, showing good form on a Soft 7 track while working alongside stablemate Abounding. Heathcote said, "He worked super. He loved that Soft 7 this morning when he worked with Abounding and to win it would be a career highlight" [1].
The Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm is scheduled for June 13, with Rothfire and Abounding among the key runners in the A$3 million event [1, 2].