3 minute read
Buffering may be no better now than he has been for the last five years but his reputation continues to grow as does his C.V to which he added a sixth Group 1 success on the weekend.
The 2015 Winterbottom Stakes was Buffering's second win in the race after claiming the prize narrowly ahead of Moment Of Change in 2013.
In 2015 the margin was more clear-cut, Waterman's Bay and Fast 'n' Rocking were closing on the line but never really threatening Buffering who had done his damage early on.
Buffering took charge of Perth's premier sprint right from the get-go, roaring along to the 600m mark in 33.79 seconds, dragging his rivals right out of their comfort zones, and forcing the race to be run strictly on his terms.
Off that sort of early speed the race was to become a dogfight to the finish line (advantage Buffering) and the Queenslander found plenty in the run home. The overall time was a very fast - just two have gone quicker around the Ascot 1200m in raw terms in the last 25 years - but the track (and potentially the wind) played a role in that - the ground more than a dozen lengths quicker than it had been in the previous couple of years by Racing And Sports' reckoning.
Buffering was the lone true Group 1 sprinter in a line-up that boasted just two interstate visitors - Buffering and Fast 'n' Rocking - which was down on their representation in recent years.
The quality of the race wasn't down, however, Buffering not needing to be at his best but still running to a respectable mark of 119.
At his very best Buffering was rated 127, but peaked at 124 last season and his best this season to date has been 122.
122 is, coincidently, the rating that Buffering returned when winning the Winterbottom in 2013, that rating the second highest achieved in the race.
The highest rated winning performance in the Winterbottom remains with 2008 winner Takeover Target who ran to 126 by beating Apache Cat in a vintage renewal of the race.
The other Group 1 on the card was the Railway Handicap which was taken out by another over from the eastern states in Good Project.
Good Project has been on a steady upward spiral throughout this campaign which he kicked off rated 100 and winning a nondescript Rosehill handicap.
He's now a Group 1 winner and rated 115, and there may be more to come from him yet. That said, while the racebook says 'Group 1 winner' (along with the bank balance of his connections) on true form he isn't at what would really be considered to be at 'Group 1 level' and he will have to continue on his upward trend if he is to have any impact in the Sydney autumn where he will presumably be next seen.
Fellow Sydneysider Messene gave Good Project 3.5kgs and wasn't beaten far off a steady tempo that favoured the winner. His rating comes out ahead of Good Project at 117 and while he is a well above-average racehorse his limitations at the top level in the east are well exposed.
Black Heart Bart also comes out of the Railway with a higher rating than the winner and he looks on track to give the Kingston Town Classic a big shake back to level weights in two weeks time.
The way the race was run played against well-fancied local mares Delicacy and Real Love but both did enough under the circumstance to think that they too will remain leading contenders in the Kingston Town.
Good Project heads home and won't contest the Kingston Town but Magic Artist is coming across to take his place and with a Timeform Rating of 120 he looks set to give the locals plenty to think about in the now million-dollar race.