Coetzee abounding into new partnership

By Jordan Gerrans

With a training partnership in the works, Jarred Coetzee says he is focused on easing the pressure and workload on Robert Heathcote as the team eyes a busy summer carnival.

The well-travelled Coetzee has worked for the Heathcote stable at Eagle Farm for the last six months after an extensive career working across the globe.

With veteran trainer Heathcote enjoying his golf and travel, on top of his team of gallopers, a partnership would make complete sense for all parties.

The official partnership is likely to be ratified in early 2025 but before that, the barn have big Queensland Summer Racing Carnival ambitions with quality gallopers such as Abounding, Ekaterina, Rothfire and Prince Of Boom.

Abounding and Ekaterina will be the first cabs off the rank on Saturday afternoon as they both chase black-type fortunes across Doomben’s Tattersall's Racing Club program.

While Heathcote already has multiple Group 1 titles on his resume, the South African-born Coetzee says his boss is more than happy to take on the ideas he is bringing to the stable.

“Rob is not like most trainers, he always wants to learn more even with his age and experience,” Coetzee said.

“With my experience internationally and from other trainers, I can add one percenters to improve on things around Rob’s stable.

"I think that has come to fruition.

“I have been very lucky to work for some leading trainers around Australia.”

Coetzee carries the title of racing manager at the stable before his elevation to co-trainer in the coming months.

He is the nephew of former champion South African jockey Felix Coetzee, who won numerous Group 1s in Hong Kong. 

Coetzee’s father Kevin, who trained a stable of horses, introduced him to the sport.

The 38-year-old says Kevin has been his greatest mentor when it comes to being a horseman.

Coetzee was a foreman and rode work for five years for Chris Waller as well as riding track work in Hong Kong.

Coetzee trained for about a year in China for the China Horse Club before he came to Australia and also had a five-year stint with Ballarat trainer Henry Dwyer.

He travelled a horse to the USA at one stage.

The horseman says he tried to take learnings from every stable he worked for, picking organizational and business skills up from Waller while also taking on the importance of owner communication from Dwyer.

The 65-year-old Heathcote was impressed with Coetzee from the moment he met him.

"He is already very hands on with running the stable and I think what impresses me most is his passion,” Heathcote told Racenet earlier this year.

Heathcote was asked on radio this week if he would be training in five years’ time and he said he was not sure.

That is why a partnership with Coetzee makes so much sense for the long-time Brisbane conditioner.

"To really enjoy racing, you have got to have some family time and a good quality of life,” Heathcote told Racenet earlier this year.

"I do still have a burning passion for racing and I don't want that to be diminished.

"It will probably be sooner rather than later that I go into partnership (with Coetzee)."

Emerging horseman Ollie Peoples has also taken on a greater role at Heathcote’s barn in recent times.

On Tuesday at Eagle Farm for gallops morning, Heathcote was overseeing the team’s work from above while Coetzee was busy running the stable and their crop of riders.

“It is fantastic, a bit like a team or a family with all the people Rob has had here with him for years,” Coetzee said.

“It is a real testament to him that he has had staff here for longer than a decade. In the caper we are in, that speaks for itself.

“He has got a good system, a system that has worked for 20 years with multiple good horses being trained under it.

“I have come in with an open book and learnt a tremendous amount from Rob and his routine.”

The stable are searching for black-type success this Saturday as Ekaterina heads to the Listed Tattersall's Recognition Stakes while Abounding will be first-up in the Listed Tattersall's Classic.

Reigning Magic Millions Guineas champion Abounding is on a path back to the Gold Coast early in 2025 and will go to the Listed Just Now following Saturday’s contest.

“She is everyone’s favourite and has serious character about her, as well,” Coetzee said of Abounding.

“She always has her head out the door and is always having a look around – she is very inquisitive.”

Abounding was competitive throughout the recent Brisbane winter in an array of feature events but was unable to land a blow.

She will be targeted to the rich fillies and mares event on Magic Millions day in January.

Ekaterina will have the services of in-form Irishman Luke Dempsey over 1350 metres on Saturday.

The five-year-old mare has not run up to her best form in her first two efforts this preparation and Coetzee is keen to see her get some confidence back.

“I think we will see a much better Ekaterina come the weekend,” Coetzee said.

“We just want to see her racing back at her best and then we will take her one step at a time.

“This race will be a good stepping stone for where we go next, we just want to see her hitting the line. She has been going well at home but just not putting it out on the race track.”

Hoop Dempsey has ridden three winners already this month after relocating to South East Queensland from Victoria.