Trainer Rob Heathcote Toys With Cox Plate Tilt For Woorim

Nathan Exelby, Matt Stewart From: The Courier-Mail  Picture: Nicole Garmston Source: Herald Sun  

BUOYED by his Moonee Valley double, Rob Heathcote is daring to dream big and revealed yesterday he is toying with a Cox Plate tilt if Woorim continues to blossom in Melbourne. Woorim showed he was on target to avenge his narrow defeat in last year's Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes when powering home under 60.5kg at the Valley on Saturday. "He was dominant and he went to the line easing down," Heathcote said. "He's in career-best form at the right time of year. If we get a good-to-dead track for the Rupert Clarke, it will be hard to beat him."

The Rupert Clarke is on Saturday week and then Woorim will most likely run in the Toorak Handicap a fortnight later before connections assess whether the 2040m Cox Plate is a realistic option. "There will be people who'll laugh, but I don't care. Our options are open," Heathcote said. "He has shown he can handle Moonee Valley. "His brother My Limit was a 2200m horse. We had one go with Woorim over 2000m and he was fourth in town but they were the bad old days when I couldn't get his feet right and we couldn't get him on the bit. "Who knows? It doesn't hurt to dream and the Crystal Mile on the same day is there as a back-up."

The Cox Plate is shaping as one of the most open in years and connections were happy to pay up among second acceptances last week. Jockey Damian Browne was glowing in his appraisal of Woorim's performance. Heathcote is also quietly confident Buffering can take the necessary improvement to test More Joyous, Sepoy and Co in the Manikato Stakes on September 30.

Heathcote's memorable day was soured though when a filly he rated his best two-year-old broke a leg on Saturday night. "It is really bad news. I've had 15 two-year-olds through and this Danzero filly was head and shoulders the best of them," Heathcote said.