Trainer Rob Heathcote hopes jockey Larry Cassidy is a good judge as he begins to shape a winter carnival campaign for Buffering.The talented three-year-old has been in work for a month and impressed Cassidy with a sparkling workout at Eagle Farm on Saturday."I'm really happy the way he's going and he'll have a barrier trial next week along with quite a few others of mine," Heathcote said."Larry commented how Buffering has thickened up in the neck and in his hind quarters after the gallop."I told

Trainer Rob Heathcote hopes jockey Larry Cassidy is a good judge as he begins to shape a winter carnival campaign for Buffering.

The talented three-year-old has been in work for a month and impressed Cassidy with a sparkling workout at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

"I'm really happy the way he's going and he'll have a barrier trial next week along with quite a few others of mine," Heathcote said.

"Larry commented how Buffering has thickened up in the neck and in his hind quarters after the gallop.

"I told Larry I thought he needed to find two or three lengths to be a genuine Group One competitor but Larry says he thinks he's found it."

Heathcote also will barrier trial Buffering's stablemates Woorim, Captain Clayton, Our Lukas and Fillydelphia who are all on the comeback trial for the winter carnival.

The winner of six of his 11 starts, Buffering hasn't started since finishing fourth to Star Witness in the Group One Coolmore Stud (1200m) at Flemington in October.

It was the second time Heathcote earned Group One prizemoney during the spring following Woorim's third to Response in the Sir Rupert Clarke (1400m) at Caulfield in September.

Heathcote is considering a number of paths to take with Buffering for the winter but a lot depends on whether champion sprinter Black Caviar makes the journey north for the Group One Doomben 10,000 (1350m) in May.

"He could kick off in the Listed Bribie Handicap at Eagle Farm on April 16 and then head to the Group Two Victory Stakes at weight-for-age at Eagle Farm," Heathcote said.

"Or he can tackle the three-year-old route via the Mick Dittman Plate before the 10,000.

"If Black Caviar ends up coming then he could start in the Gold Coast Guineas and then we'll see where to go with him."

Woorim is also pleasing Heathcote as he gets down to serious work heading to the Group One Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm in June.

Woorim was also placed at Listed level at Flemington last spring in a five-race campaign in Melbourne culminating in his last-start failure on a heavy track when last to Poor Judge in the Group Three Chatham Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on October 30.

Our Lukas, winner of the past two Ipswich Cups and the Seymour Cup last October, is being readied for the Group One Doomben Cup in May.

Heathcote, last season's premier trainer in Queensland, has yet to win at the elite level.

His biggest successes to date have been Group Two victories with Buffering in last year's Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) at Randwick and Funtantes in the Champagne Stakes (1200m) at Doomben in 2009.