Rob Heathcote was born and raised in Tasmania but regards himself as a Queenslander and is on a mission to win the state's premier race, the Stradbroke Handicap.The trainer barracks for the Maroons when the State of Origin rugby league clash comes around each year and follows the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL.He was a handy sportsman himself, playing A grade cricket against former Test star David Boon while growing up in Tasmania.Heathcote has won several Group races during his career but has yet

Rob Heathcote was born and raised in Tasmania but regards himself as a Queenslander and is on a mission to win the state's premier race, the Stradbroke Handicap.

The trainer barracks for the Maroons when the State of Origin rugby league clash comes around each year and follows the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL.

He was a handy sportsman himself, playing A grade cricket against former Test star David Boon while growing up in Tasmania.

Heathcote has won several Group races during his career but has yet to win that elusive Group One.

His time will come, possibly as soon as Saturday in the Group One Stradbroke (1400m) at Eagle Farm.

Heathcote will saddle up two runners, last start winner Woorim, a son of former Stradbroke winner Show A Heart, and Buffering, part-owned by several former Socceroos, including skipper Craig Moore and goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac.

Woorim was to be ridden by Damian Browne who was aboard the five-year-old when he charged home from near last to win the Group Three BTC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben on May 21.

Browne was subsequently suspended for careless riding and forfeited the Stradbroke ride to Sydney's Corey Brown.

Buffering will also have a new rider with former South African Glyn Schofield teaming up with the three-year-old for the first time after regular rider Larry Cassidy was suspended at Doomben last Wednesday.

Heathcote is excited about his Stradbroke prospects but has no doubts Woorim is the stable's best hope.

"I've looked at the forecast and it's very encouraging," Heathcote said.

"Woorim is my best chance and he needs a dry track which he looks like getting.

"The day he won the BTC Sprint it sent a shiver up my spine."

Heathcote has overlooked Buffering's last start failure when last to Beaded in the Group One Doomben 10,000 (1350m).

"I'm completely forgiving him for that run," Heathcote said.

"It was so out of character for him to miss the start the way he did."

As a member of a large family with nine siblings, Heathcote flew the coop when he was 20 to become a tour manager in Europe.

That lasted 12 years before he eventually returned to Australia and became involved in racing.

"I had no intention of getting involved in racing when I came back until I became a manager for my brother, Wayne, who had racing interests in Australia while living in New York and London," Heathcote said.

Although racing was never in his family bloodlines he got the urge to become a trainer and backed himself, studying animal husbandry and reading books on the best feeding methods of thoroughbreds.

Heathcote, 51, who is married to Vicki and has two children Nicholas, 16, and Charmaine, 15, took the plunge to become a trainer 14 years ago.

"It was like being thrown in the deep end," Heathcote said.

"It was very scary when I first started off."

The early days were tough as he built his stable base but the hard work was rewarded last season when he won his first Brisbane trainers' premiership.