New partnership ready to fire in Classic

Co-trainer Chris Anderson is looking to Ballistic Boy to give him and Robert Heathcote a stakes win.

It would be apt if the new Anderson-Heathcote training partnership’s first stakes winner was well bred two-year-old Ballistic Boy.

Trainers Robert Heathcote and Chris Anderson started a new partnership last week and have already had five winners.

They were to have their first stakes runner in Femme Fireball at the Gold Coast last week but she was a race morning scratching with a minor set back.

Instead Ballistic Boy will have the honour of being their first stakes runner in Saturday’s Group Two Champagne Classic (1200m) at Doomben.

Ballistic Boy is one of five well-bred yearlings the late Dato Tan Chin Nam’s Think Big Stud bought for Anderson to train.

“I had trained some tried horses for them and they decided to give me a chance with some younger horses,” Anderson said.

“Naturally he came with me when I joined up with Rob who has also trained plenty of winners for Think Big Stud.

“We obviously would love to win any stakes races for them but again it would obviously be good if it was our first as a partnership.”

Ballistic Boy, by Smart Missile out of High Chaparral mare Magical Mist , won his only start at Doomben in March and has had a jump-out since.

“We have him in at Murwillumbah on Friday but we will roll the dice and give him a chance in the stakes race. If he races well he can go on to the Sires’ and J J Atkins.”

The trainers are also hoping tough stayer Kubis gets a start in the Chairman’s Handicap after being made an emergency.

Anderson said the partnership was keen to build up a team of consistent tough horses.

Kubis certainly fits that bill with six wins and 12 minor placings in his career to date.

At his last start Kubis was a fighting Toowoomba Cup second to The Lord Mayor who went on to win the Gold Coast Cup last Saturday.

“He had won his previous two starts so he is again proving consistent this campaign and Rob has always said he would mature into a good stayer,” Anderson.

A $40,000 Magic Millions yearling, Kubis is by former top sprinter Love Conquers All but he throws to his dam Alperto who is by Derby winner Grosvenor.