On the same day he will hand over Buffering's Queensland Horse of the Year title for the first time in six years, Rob Heathcote is confident one of Buffering's relations will win at Doomben.
No Annamossity is a three-quarter brother to seven-time Group I winning marvel Buffering and is the $2.70 CrownBet favourite for Saturday's Country Music Raceday Handicap (1350m).
Buffering was as tough as old boots in a grand racing career and four-year-old No Annamossity, who is also by Mossman, has already showed he is a tough campaigner.
Last December he underwent surgery after fracturing his cannon bone but he has returned well, running on well over 1200m to record two placings at Doomben last month.
Trainer Heathcote says the gelding, whose dam Hussyanna is out of Buffering's mother Action Annie, will be much better suited over 1350m on Saturday.
And he is sure he is the one to beat.
"He has quite a serious bone fracture and I thought his chances of coming back from such an injury were probably only 30 percent, but he has proved me wrong," Heathcote said.
"Damian Browne rode him at Eagle Farm last December and he got off and said I had a really good horse.
"Then the horse walked out of the hose bay lame. Now has a couple of screws holding everything together.
"I've adjusted his training schedule to include a lot of swimming.
"He has a lot of ability and I am sure the 1350m will be ideal for him and I'm sure Browny will put him in the right place in the race."
It will be an odd feeling for Heathcote at the Queensland Racing Awards on Saturday night when he hands over Buffering's Horse of the Year title.
Buffering won the award in five consecutive years and the contenders this year are Houtzen, Yankee Rose, Most Important, Capital Gain and Rudy.
