Leading trainer Rob Heathcote is looking forward to the rest of the season with class mare Funtantes before she retires to stud later this year.

Funtantes (6m Easy Rocking – Cantantes by Just Awesome) claimed her third stakes victory leading from go-to-whoa in the LR Nudgee Quality (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday.  “She was clearly the best horse in the race and I was confident when they let her get away with a soft lead,” Heathcote said.  “We will keep her nice and fresh leading up to the winter carnival.”

Heathcote and his wife Vicky bred and part-own the mare and she has earned over $623,000 thanks to earlier black-type victories in the G2 Champagne Classic at Doomben and LR Juanmo Stakes at Eagle Farm.

Heathcote also trained her dam Cantantes for wins at Eagle Farm and Sunshine Coast and she has excelled at stud with five winners from five to the races.  Among them is LR Chief de Beers Hcp winner Excellantes (Falvelon)

“I’ve got a couple of nice ones coming through out of Cantantes,” Heathcote said.  “There’s a two-year-old by Easy Rocking named Kingtantes, a yearling colt by Duke Of Marmalade and she foaled another Falvelon colt last year.

“Cantantes has been fantastic broodmare,” Heathcote added.  “There’s no reason why Funtantes can’t do the same for us when she goes to stud.”

FUNTANTES
Easy Rocking mare wins her third stakes race in Brisbane