Prince Of Boom chasing successful return

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Rob Heathcote has put a wild few days of flooding at his Eagle Farm stables behind him and is hopeful promising three-year-old Prince Of Boom can make a successful comeback in the QTIS Jewel Prelude at Doomben on Saturday.

Heathcote has booked Jim Orman to ride Prince Of Boom, who hasn’t raced since undergoing a wind operation following his fourth to stablemate Startantes at Doomben on September 11.

“He had a wind operation after he disappointed in his last two runs last campaign,” Heathcote said.

“We found he had a breathing problem which is what went wrong with him last preparation.

“That’s why he didn’t perform as well as we know he can.”

Heathcote said Prince Of Boom performed well when he won a of 1050-metre barrier trial at Deagon last month.

“The horse is going well and he trialled well but he’s missed some work just like a lot of other horses,” he said.

“He should go well first-up but he’s coming back from throat surgery and there’s always an air of anticipation whether horses come back 100 per cent after a wind operation.”

Heathcote is aiming Prince Of Boom, a winner of two of his five starts, for the $500,000 QTIS 3YO Jewel at the Gold Coast on March 19.

“He’s being aimed for The Jewel then he’ll head to the winter carnival along with Startantes,” he said.

“He’s a Group 2 winner already after he won the Champagne Classic last year.”

Prince of Boom and Group 1 winner Rothfire were two of Heathcote’s horses who were left to stand fetlock deep in water for 24 hours on Sunday after rising floodwaters entered his stables and office.

“I got seriously flooded at the weekend and my entire stables went under a metre deep,” Heathcote said.

“I had to clean out every box and replace the saw dust and I’ve had to get a new printer, new washing machine and a new fridge and freezer which all went under.

“I was the only trainer affected and I couldn’t move any of the horses because the stables are all full and they had to stand in fetlock deep water all night.”

Rothfire started a short-priced favourite in the QTIS Jewel two years ago but was beaten in an upset by the Michael Nolan-trained Kisukano.

The former Nolan-trained Hinged, now in the care of Chris Waller, denied Heathcote another Group 1 winner when Startantes was narrowly beaten in the Surround Stakes at Randwick last Saturday.