Heathcote has fun with mare’s offspring

Robert Heathcote is now training winners from former stable stars including Funtantes dam of Ziemba.

Group Two-winning mare Funtantes has shown she is on the way to equalling the exploits of her late dam Cantantes as a broodmare with Ziemba scoring a strong win at Ipswich.

Ziemba ($1.90) made it two wins from two starts when he stormed home to win Wednesday’s Schweppes Two-Year-Old Handicap (1200m).

He is a gelding by Rothesay out of Funtantes who won the Group Two Champagne Classic as a two-year-old.

Funtantes is a daughter of Cantantes who has been one of the most prolific producers of winners in Queensland.

Cantantes, as was the case with Funtantes, was trained by Robert Heathcote winning two races before going to stud.

Apart from Funtantes, Cantantes has produced winners Excellantes, Guntantes, Notre Amour, Kingtantes, Khaptentes, Brilliantes, Remembering Frank and Alle Vongole.

Cantantes died last year but Heathcote is confident Funtantes can take her place as a top class broodmare.

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“Ziemba is the first of her foals to race because she slipped a couple and lost another one to a snake bite,” Heathcote said.

“The family has been great for us and I hope Funtantes can continue on. She is back at Glenlogan Park in foal to Russian Revolution and will be going to Spirit Of Boom this season.”

Heathcote now trains in partnership with Chris Anderson and he believes Ziemba is one of the horses who will lead the stable’s fortunes next season.

“The whole family are blinkers horses and I will put them on him for a Saturday two-year-old race in two weeks,” he said.

The Anderson/Heathcote partnership had a double on Wednesday when Elementae ($8) scored a strong win in a maiden.

Premier Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan produced another smart two-year-old, Ingear, for a syndicate headed by his long time friend Brian Siemsen.

“Ingear has taken a while to mature and she had a few early problems but she should go on from here to be a Saturday grade two-year-old,” Gollan said.