If the adage a change is as good as a holiday is correct, 2008 Doncaster Mile winner Triple Honour is set for a big campaign under new Queensland trainer Rob Heathcote.Triple Honour will make his stable debut for Heathcote in the Mark Timms The Good Guys Ipswich Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday.The seven-year-old was retired after having his last start for leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller when seventh to King Lionheart in the Group Two Shannon Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill last September.
If the adage a change is as good as a holiday is correct, 2008 Doncaster Mile winner Triple Honour is set for a big campaign under new Queensland trainer Rob Heathcote.
Triple Honour will make his stable debut for Heathcote in the Mark Timms The Good Guys Ipswich Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday.
The seven-year-old was retired after having his last start for leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller when seventh to King Lionheart in the Group Two Shannon Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill last September.
"Chris Waller decided it was best to retire him last year but his Hong Kong owner Phillip Ng is a client of mine and he asked me if I would try him one more time," Heathcote said.
"He came to me straight after his last Sydney run and the first thing I did was give him a three-month spell.
"I've had him in work since mid-January and I can't find anything wrong with him.
"Chris (Waller) has been to the top of the tree with this horse after winning the Doncaster and I'm delighted the way he's going."
Heathcote said Triple Honour was doing everything right in trackwork and he is considering a Brisbane winter carnival campaign.
"I cannot fault his work. He seems to be really motivated," he said.
"He's got a big weight with 62 kilos on Saturday but I'll take three off with Ryan Hurdle's claim."
The winner of seven of his 47 starts and almost $2.2 million in prize money, Triple Honour has not won for nearly two years.
His last victory was in the Group Two Eagle Farm Cup (2200m) in 2010 which followed his third to stablemate Metal Bender in the Group One Doomben Cup (2200m) and second to Road To Rock in the Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick that year.
Heathcote is not concerned about Triple Honour making his comeback on a rain-affected track.
"He's running Saturday and if I can get him back to somewhere near his best I'll look at the Hollindale Stakes and Doomben Cup with him," he said.
"I'm expecting a good run from him despite it being first-up on Saturday."
Triple Honour finished sixth in both the Hollindale and Doomben Cups last year and was a close-up fourth to Scenic Shot in the Doomben Cup in 2009.
This year's Group Two Hollindale Stakes (1800m) will be run at the Gold Coast on May 5, two weeks before the Doomben Cup (2020m).
Both races are at weight-for-age.