Group 1 bridesmaid Buffering pulled up lame after his second to Samaready in Fridays Night’s Group 1 $450,000 Programmed Moir Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.

Buffering, blue colours, runs another second at Group 1 level behind Samaready in the Moir Stakes. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Buffering recorded his tenth Group 1 placing when beaten four lengths by the 2012 Blue Diamond winner and trainer Robert Heathcote said that the Queensland sprinter will be fit for a rematch in the Group 1 $1m Sportingbet Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in four weeks.

“My stable foreman Mel Leitch got Buffering out of his box this morning and found he was clearly lame,” Heathcote told The Sunday Telegraph.

“She got the vet who found he had a stone bruise on his near foreleg. Most often stone bruises are concussion injuries but he wasn’t due to start for another month and we will give him the normal treatment.”

Buffering has been so close to collecting his first Group 1 win with five seconds before last night and was having his first run back since finishing second to Linton in the Group 1 $1.36m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm in June.

The Mossman six year old also filled the runner up stall in last year’s Stradbroke Handicap behind Mid Summer Music as well a second and two thirds to the mighty Black Caviar.

The unlucky sprinter was also beaten a nose by Hay List in the 2012 Group 1 $1m Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington.

Heathcote is not blaming the injury for Buffering’s defeat in the Moir Stakes and feels he has plenty of time to get the six year old fit for a rematch with Samaready in the Manikato Stakes.

Trainer Mick Price comfirmed that Samaready will be contesting the Manikato Stakes after her emotional win in the Moir Stakes.

“The Manikato Stakes will be her next main goal,” Price said.

“I think that the time between runs will be good for her.”