Heathcote to give Ekaterina a chance of Stradbroke qualification

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Robert Heathcote is hopeful quality mare Ekaterina can keep his Stradbroke Handicap dreams alive when the four-year-old attempts back-to-back wins at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Ekaterina – a Martin Harley ride – clashes with stable mate Dune Forty Five in the Open Handicap over 1400 metres.

Heathcote is aiming Ekaterina towards next month’s The Gateway Handicap at Eagle Farm which carries an automatic entry for next year’s Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap in June.

Ekaterina produced a below par performance when she tailed the field first-up in a Benchmark race at Eagle Farm on September 30.

She then collected a stunning victory in a 1200 metre Class Six Plate at Eagle Farm two weeks later.

“I was scratching my head after her first-up run but we found she had a little niggle which we fixed and we resurrected her when she won last start,” Heathcote said.

A 12-time Group 1 winner, Heathcote has never won a Stradbroke Handicap but has been placed four times with his champion sprinter Buffering who finished second in 2012 and 2013 while Rothfire finished third in 2022 and second this year.

Ekaterina is a half-sister to her Group winning stable mate Startantes and is part of Queensland’s famous breeding families.

Their mother Funtantes earned more than $704,000 in prize money during her career which included winning the Group 2 Champagne Classic at Doomben in 2009 and Listed Nudgee Handicap and Listed Juanmo Stakes.

Funtantes was a 10-time winner and is a daughter of Heathcote’s former top producing broodmare, Cantantes.

“Ekaterina might not have the same ability as Startantes but she’s very exciting,” Heathcote said.

“I’ve had more than 70 winners from Cantantes and her family and hopefully it continues.”

Heathcote believes both Ekaterina and Dune Forty Five will be highly competitive and is hopeful of a one-two finish.

“I’m excited about Ekaterina as she’s stepping up to Open Company and is taking on some nice horses,” he said.

“She’s getting up in the weights but she’ll be very competitive.”

Dune Forty Five is having his first start since tailing the field in the Group 3 Premier Cup at Eagle Farm in late May.

Dune Forty Five has been working strongly.

“Dune Forty Five has been working super and has been a revelation for the stable,” Heathcote said.

“He won first-up over 1350 metres at his first run for us and he’s being aimed for some of the better races during the summer carnival.”