Hoop hopeful for veteran Buffering
AS Buffering prepares to take on Group 1 rivals five years his junior on Friday night, jockey Damian Browne admits he is simply “hoping’’ the grand campaigner can live up to his former feats.
A remarkable testament to Buffering’s longevity is he was tangling with Black Caviar before some of his sprint rivals in Friday’s Moir Stakes (1000m) were born.
Three-year-olds in the Moir at Moonee Valley include Petits Filous, Blue Diamond winner Fontition and Furnaces from the powerful Godolphin Stable.
Professional punter and ratings analyst Daniel O’Sullivan believes Buffering’s ratings in the last racing season will make him very competitive in the Moir.
But the unknown factor is how well the Rob Heathcotetrained sprinter has come back as an eight-year-old and after missing the entire Queensland Winter Carnival with injury.
“Buffering’s most recent ratings of 103.6 to 105.5 slot in pretty well for the Moir, subject to just how prepared he is for this race,’’ O’Sullivan said.
“But there is always the chance as an eight-year-old he comes back less effective.’’
Browne, who won the Moir on Buffering last year, has ridden the veteran super sprinter at several trials and spins around track work recently.
He said he had been pleased by his work, but conceded the Buffering camp was just crossing their fingers he could be somewhere near his best as an older horse.
“I suppose when it comes down to it, we are just hoping,’’ Browne said.
“I am really happy with the way he is going and he has galloped really well at track work.
“But the big question is whether he will be as good on race day, and that is a question we won’t know the answer to until Friday night.
“What a lot of people will remember Buffering for is his longevity.
“He has been in the headlines every year and taken me to places I probably wouldn’t have got to otherwise.’’
Meanwhile, globetrotting jockey Zac Purton will ride Queensland sprinter Wicked Intent in Saturday’s Roman Consul Stakes at Randwick.
Wicked Intent will be the first interstate runner for champion former jockey Chris Munce since he became a trainer.
Munce was delighted to secure Hong-Kong-based former Queenslander Purton for the ride and was happy with the way the colt had settled in Sydney.
Munce rode Wicked Intent when he galloped on Saturday morning and was pleased with the colt’s work.
“It’s great that Zac is going to ride the colt, he’s one of the best jockeys in the world,’’ Munce said.
“The horse travelled down well and has licked his feed bin clean every night. He worked strongly on the Kensington track and I couldn’t be happier with him.’’
Wicked Intent has won four of his nine races and was an unlucky sixth in the Magic Millions Classic in January when ridden by Munce on his final day as a jockey.