Trump Still Melbourne Bound

Premier trainer Rob Heathcote is prepared to overlook Trump's shock defeat at Doomben and may still send the three-year-old to Melbourne to join stablemates Woorim and Buffering. Heathcote, last season's Queensland Trainer Of The Year, capped one of his best days of his training career when Buffering and Woorim both won at Moonee Valley last Saturday. Buffering won the G2 Two McEwen Stakes (1000m) while Woorim scored a sensational victory in a 1200-metre Open Handicap.

However, Heathcote and jockey Larry Cassidy found themselves in trouble with stewards who opened a running and handling inquiry after Trump finished third to stablemate Bevico Girl in the QTIS Coolabah Tree Cafe Handicap (1615m). Bevico Girl, who was runner-up to Trump at her previous start at Eagle Farm, scored by a head to Black Jag with Trump only one length away third. Stewards questioned Cassidy's handling of Trump in the early stages of the race when he was caught three wide on the filly. Heathcote's anger with Trump's defeat was evident but he also was delighted to see Bevico Girl win for only the second time in nine starts. "She deserved to win that," Heathcote said. "It was a good effort considering she got all fired up before the start."

Heathcote was bitterly disappointed with Trump's placing but indicated he was likely to press ahead with plans to send him to Melbourne. "I've been saying for a very long time he's a good horse but you need to have things go your way in races," Heathcote said. Cassidy told stewards Trump wanted to hang in the early stages when he was attempting to keep him from firing up. "On paper it was a bad ride but I can tell you why," Cassidy told the inquiry. "I tried to get him to relax as he can fire up. "Two horses kicked up on his inside and I was on one rein and couldn't get back in." Stewards adjourned their inquiry into Trump's performance to a date to be fixed.

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Photo: Graham Potter