Rothfire registered a dominant win in the Gr1 $350,000 J J Atkins Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm and earned himself a winter holiday.
Rothfire sprinted clear in the home straight to defeat Gotta Kiss by 3-1/4 lengths with The Drinks Cart running on for third in 1:21.06 – a track record.
Trainer Rob Heathcote, who paid $10,000 for the son of Rothesay off a video, was winning his first Gr1 race in his home state of Queensland.
“I’m emotional and lost for words and that’s not normally me,” Heathcote told AAP.
“Jimmy Byrne (jockey) infused me with confidence before the race because he said he would take a sit if they wanted to serve it up to him during the race, because they wouldn’t beat him, and he was right.
“There was such a big build up to this race and I love the horse so much I think that’s why I’m pretty emotional – he’s a star.”
Heathcote, who prepared champion sprinter Buffering to win Group 1 races around the world, suggested Rothfire could be prepared for the $15m Everest (1200m) at Randwick in October.
“We have lofty expectations for him, no pun intended we want to go to the Everest with him and now that he’s come out here and beaten a gun field of two-year-olds,” Heathcote said.
“He’ll go to the paddock on Monday we’ll give him a nice break set a program in concrete, beginning with The Everest and then possibly onto the Coolmore (Stud Stakes), 1200 metres up the straight at Flemington, he’d love it.
“I have compared him to Buffering and in time I would love to see him travel all over the world, he’s on track.”