Local hero Rothfire needed to call on every ounce of his courage to capture Saturday’s Group II Channel 7 Victory Stakes at (1200m) at Eagle Farm.
Ridden by Nash Rawiller for Robert Heathcote, the 5yo son of Rothesay defeated the fast-finishing King Of Sparta (I Am Invincible) by a half-neck with Prince Of Boom (Spirit of Boom) a long head back in third.
With his fifth stakes victory, Rothfire advances his record to nine three and a third from 22 starts with earnings of $2,012,375.
“How great it is to have this horse back and winning the way he did,” stable representative Leah Kilner enthused.
They went quickly in front, but (stablemate) Prince Of Boom dug deep, and both are brilliant horses.
“Big credit to Mel Sharpe; she does a lot of work with Rothfire. Mel knows him inside and out, and congratulations to the whole team, especially Mel.
Nash Rawiller was having his ride on Rothfire, who was making his first appearance since finishing a close-up sixth in the Group 1 Winterbottom stakes at Ascot in December.
“He travelled beautifully and felt great,” Rawiller said.
“It’s good to be on him on a day like this when he’s been able to produce somewhere near his best and certainly right up there with his fight to win.”
Bred by Wally and Jill Gleeson's Gleeson Thoroughbreds, Rothfire couldn't make a yearling sale, so he was offered to trainer Robert Heathcote for $10,000.
He is the best of three winners from five to race out of the unraced Hussonet (USA) mare Huss On Fire, who was pensioned in 2018.
Lyndhurst Stud’s Rothesay will have a legion of fans this year at a value fee of $4,950.
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