Buffering Scoops the Al Quoz for Australia

The past performances of Buffering (Aus) (Mossman {Aus}) read like a veritable Australian Sprinters' Hall of Fame. The popular Queenslander had kept company with some of the country's best short-trackers over the last four or five years, placing behind the likes of the legendary Black Caviar (Aus) (Bel Esprit {Aus}), Hay List (Aus) (Statue of Liberty), Foxwedge (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Lankan Rupee (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}), while narrowly defeating the latter champion in the 2014 running of the G1 Moir S. at Melbourne's Moonee Valley. Venturing beyond the borders of Australia for just the second time in his career, Buffering was given a pedal-to-the-metal ride by his long-time mate Damian Browne and swatted all comers away for a 3/4-length defeat of Carnival star Ertijaal (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in Saturday's G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan. Peniaphobia (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) pressed the pace outside of the winner and gave way late to finish third, a year after finishing runner-up to Sole Power (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}). The victory was the third on World Cup night and second for Australia in the Al Quoz. Elvstroem (Aus) (Danehill) took out the G1 Dubai Duty Free S. in 2005, while Ortensia (Aus) (Testa Rossa {Aus}) defeated Sole Power (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) in this event in 2012.

Saturday, Meydan, Middle East
AL QUOZ SPRINT SPONSORED BY MEYDAN HOTELS & HOSPITALITY-G1, $1,000,000, MEY, 3-26, NH3yo/up & SH3yo/up, 1000mT, :56.34, gd.
1–BUFFERING (AUS), 126, g, 8, by Mossman (Aus)
1st Dam: Action Annie (Aus), by Anabaa
2nd Dam: Overdue Reaction (Ire), by Be My Guest
3rd Dam: Temporary Lull, by Super Concorde
(A$22,000 Ylg '09 MMQTIS). O-Mrs V Heathcote, S Krslovic, C Moore, R Ciobo, D Merola, C Lord, Crafty Racing Synd, Aspariamo Racing Synd & B Harry; B-Racetree (AUS); T-Robert Heathcote; J-Damien Browne. $600,000. Lifetime Record: MG1SW-Aus, 52-20-9-8, $6,425,478. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]2–Ertijaal (Ire), 126, g, 5, Oasis Dream (GB)#tot">Oasis Dream (GB)–Shabiba, by Seeking the Gold. O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (IRE); T-Ali Rashid Al Raihe. $200,000.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]3–Peniaphobia (Ire), 126, g, 5, Dandy Man (Ire)–Umlani (Ire), by Great Commotion. (€11,000 Wlg '11 GOFNOV; £20,000 Ylg '12 DONAUG). O-Huang Kai Wen; B-Aidan Fogarty; T-Tony Cruz. $100,000.
Margins: 3/4, NK, 3/4.
Also Ran: Jungle Cat (Ire), Muthmir (Ire), Fityaan (GB), Lady Shipman, Not Listenin'tome (Aus), Goldream (GB), Sole Power (GB), Sir Maximilian (Ire), Bel Canto (Jpn), Naadirr (Ire). Scratched: Mongolian Saturday.
Click for the Racing Post result, the AmWager PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

In a real sense, Buffering is Australia's horse. The 8-year-old has raced in four Australian states at 10 different racetracks, better than 20 of those in his breeding state of Queensland. Having gone excruciatingly close in Group 1 tests theretofore, Buffering got over that hurdle in career start number 36, accounting for top Hong Kong sprinter Lucky Nine (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the 2013 Manikato S. and, in his 15 subsequent appearances, had run his top-level grab to a half-dozen. The bay, sixth to Aerovelocity (NZ) (Pins {Aus}) in the 2014 G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint, defied a 10-month absence to successfully defend his Moir title Oct. 2 before splitting the field in fifth behind current leading sprinter Chautauqua (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) in the Manikato Oct. 23. A neck fourth in the G1 Darley Classic up the Flemington straight 1200 Nov. 7, he shipped cross-country for his next, validating 3-2 favoritism for a second win in the G1 Winterbottom S. at Perth's Ascot Racecourse Nov. 21. Buffering shined brightest of all last time at the Gold Coast, sprinting home to take the Magic Millions Plate by 1 1/2 lengths under 134 pounds.

Buffering got away well and was in the vanguard early as the slow-starting 'TDN Rising Star' Lady Shipman (Midshipman) and Peniaphobia kept company with him inside and out. Ertijaal raced four away from the stands' side rail and without cover while tracking that leading trio, while further out, Jungle Cat (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) was handy enough just to the outside of the well-backed Hong Kong raider Not Listenin'tome (Aus) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}). Confidently handled by Browne into the final quarter-mile, Buffering still held the call and looked to always be going slightly better than Peniaphobia, who was clinging on gamely for Joao Moreira as Ertijaal lay in wait. After finally putting pay to last year's runner-up, Buffering began looking for the line and got there in time, as Ertijaal's late bid fell short.

“He was in terrific form before the race,” Browne commented. “He broke really well, to be honest beforehand I was more worried about the first 200m, thinking some of the others might have been a bit too quick for him. Once he was able to travel I was pretty confident we were going to win.”

Lady Shipman finished a mid-division seventh.

“She looked to the side when they sprung the gate and broke a little slow,” her rider Irad Ortiz Jr. explained. “She put me in a good position on her own. She just didn't go on. That is not her race. She would have done well with a better break.”

The winner's dam is represented by the 2-year-old Downloading (Aus) (Love Conquers All {Aus}), who was purchased by Buffering's trainer for A$75,000 at the 2015 Magic Millons Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and a weanling filly by Fastnet Rock (Aus).