Buffering will be the "new kid on the block" according to trainer Robert Heathcote when he returns to racing in Saturday's Victory Stakes at Doomben.

Heathcote is confident Buffering has made a complete recovery from a hoof injury that ruled him out of the Group One TJ Smith (1200m) at Randwick on April 13.

"This is the best he's ever looked going into a preparation and in hindsight I may well have been fortunate not taking him to Sydney," Heathcote said.

"By not travelling him I've got a horse who's the new kid on the block. He's fresh because he's had the longest break of his racing life."

Heathcote noticed something was amiss with Buffering when the gelding was shuffling in his action at trackwork the day before he was due to be sent to Sydney for the TJ Smith.

"On the Monday I walked him over to the track under saddle and he put in a couple of short ones so I turned him around and walked him home," he said.

"He was incredibly sore and as soon as the vet came around he took the plate off, put a paring knife right by the nail hole and out came the pus and out came the infection."

Heathcote is impressed with the speedy recovery Buffering has made from the hoof injury but rejects criticism the problem could have been avoided.

"A couple of people have said it's poor stable management. Well bollocks to that," he said.

"I have nothing but complete trust in my farrier. It's something that's not uncommon but we only hear about it when it happens to the good ones."

Buffering's stablemate Solzhenitsyn will have a jump out at Eagle Farm on Tuesday after his withdrawal from the Doncaster Mile due to the heavy track.

Heathcote said the gelding would have his next start in the Group Two Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast on May 4.