Last year’s BTC Cup third-place getter Buffering will get his chance without star pair Black Caviar and Hay List after today being included in a 37-horse nominations list for the $400,000 2012 BTC Cup (1200m).

Buffering gets his chance in the 2012 BTC Cup without stars Hay List and Black Caviar

The four-year-old is yet to win a the elite level but has placed behind the star sprinters on numerous occasions including last year’s feature sprint at Doomben.

Trained by well-known Brisbane trainer Robert Heathcote, the Mosman gelding will have no excuses this year with Black Caviar headed overseas to compete at Royal Ascot and Hay List recovering from health concerns.

Buffering begins his winter preparation this weekend when defending his Victory Stakes title at Eagle Farm after a successful Melbourne campaign that saw place three times from three Group 1 starts.

Another nominated Heathcote horse with good credentials is six-year-old gelding Woorim.

The winner of 11 of 40 starts surprised many earlier this year when winning the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield.

They are joined in nominations by plenty of other quality horses including 2011 Doomben 10,000 winner Beaded.

The six-year-old did not attempt the BTC Cup last year but had a highly successful winter carnival that also included runner-up finishes in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap and Tattersall’s Tiara.

Sydney trainer Joseph Pride has nominated three sprinters to contest the first Group 1 of the Brisbane carnival with the group headed by Rain Affair.

The successful sprinter has won 11 of 14 career starts but is yet to achieve a Group 1 level win after being upset by Master Of Design in April 14’s TJ Smith Stakes.

Pride’s other nominated horses are Mossman gelding Neeson and Galaxy fourth-place getter Title.

Still on a high from a first ever Group 1 win with Temple Of Boom in last Saturday’s Galaxy, Tony Gollan has nominated his star gelding as well as half brother Spirit Of Boom.

Talented three-year-old Nobby Snip has been nominated after showing his ability to match it at Group 1 level in his first taste last weekend when running second to Temple Of Boom in the Galaxy.

It marked the end of a highly successful Sydney campaign that saw him win three straight races in the lead up to his elite level debut.

Other horses nominated for the 2012 BTC Cup include two-time Stradbroke Handicap winner Black Piranha and Myer Classic winner Hurtle Myrtle.

BTC Cup 2012 – Nominations