Gillian Heinrich trying to break run of seconds for promising gelding Captivated

Trainer Gillian Heinrich predicts she will need to pull Captivated from the stall reserved for second-place finishes if the gelding shrugs off his bridesmaid tag to win at the Gold Coast today.

TRAINER Gillian Heinrich predicts she will need to pull Captivated from the stall reserved for second-place finishes if the gelding shrugs off his bridesmaid tag to win at the Gold Coast today.

Captivated has been the source of as much banter as frustration for the Heinrich stable in the three-year-old’s short racing career.

He has finished second five times, including three straight in his current preparation, with his only other run delivering a win in October last year at Aquis Park.

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Captivated has even finished second in two of five trials.

“He will probably go straight into the second stall and we will have to pull him into the first,” Heinrich said ahead of today’s BenchMark 62 Handicap (1300m).

“We will have to tell him ‘no mate, not today, we have actually won this race.

“He is just one of those horses. The last run was disappointing. Whether or not the track was a little choppy for him, I’m not sure.

“His work was really good this week and I’m happy with him going into the race.

Captivated, ridden by jockey Luke Dittman on Saturday at the Gold Coast Turf Club in 2018. Picture: Jerad Williams

“I’m hoping the 1300m won’t be a problem either and we can break the run of seconds.”

Heinrich, who has battled bowel cancer in recent years, returned to the track on race day for the first time in over a year last weekend where she celebrated a win with Triple Arrow.

“It was my first time back in ages,” Heinrich said.

“I had a girlfriend up and we had a winner. It feels a bit odd. I feel like a fish out of water still at the moment but once I start getting back all the time it will be fine.

“I might have popped my head in once in the past two years.”