Rothfire Ready for Shot at Everest Glory

It's the second chance connections of Rothfire (Rothesay) probably thought they'd never have but, thanks to new TAB Everest slot holder James Kennedy, the star Queenslander can set his sights on sprinting's highest peak once again. Kennedy, executive chairman of the Kennedy Luxury Group, purchased the GPI Racing slot earlier this year and told SEN Track on Saturday he's one-eyed about his desire to win the $15m TAB Everest on October 16. He's confident that in Rothfire he's found a horse that can. According to racingnsw.com.au, Kennedy decided to make his move before Rothfire returns, not wanting to miss out on one of the few horses he believes can win the rich sprint. "If you think about the Classique's (Legend), Masked Crusader and Nature Strips who have already been selected I would think there's not many horses that could show up and beat horses of that magnitude." Kennedy revealed he wanted to avoid waiting for The Shorts (where Rothfire will resume), only to find himself in a bidding duel to secure the Rob Heathcote-trained gun. Heathcote is confident he can the son of Lyndhurst Stud stallion Rothesay has lost none of his ability. "I'm comfortable that I've put on a fair bit of pressure this last month and he's come through in great order."

Rothfire has been selected for The Everest (pic: lyndhurststud.com)