Strapping mare Shiraz Attack is starting to fulfil her early promise thanks to some clever placement from her trainer Gillian Heinrich.
Shiraz Attack is looking to make it three wins from four starts this campaign in the NRMA Insurance Plate (1600m) at Doomben on Saturday.
The four-year-old mare has been rated a future stakes winner since her two-year-old days but has had plenty of bad luck along the way.
Heinrich admitted she had erred when she ran Shiraz Attack at the last Magic Millions carnival and then rushed her back for the Brisbane winter.
This campaign Heinrich has taken her time with Shiraz Attack, putting blinkers on the mare last start when she beat an open-company fillies and mares field at Doomben.
In that race she carried 54kg and under the Plate conditions on Saturday Shiraz Attack will carry the same weight. International jockey Robbie Fradd has been riding Shiraz Attack and is a big fan.
“It was the right thing for Gillian to put blinkers on her and I am really looking forward to her getting out to 1600m this campaign,” Fradd said.
A former Hong Kong premiership-winning jockey, South African-born Fradd has made a big impact since arriving in Queensland in August.
He has ridden 20 winners and eight of those have been for Heinrich.
“I appreciate the support Gillian has given me and it is a pleasure to ride her horses,” he said.
Fradd and Heinrich will also combine with Primal Flight who will be tackling stakes class for the first time in the Keith Noud Handicap (1200m).
Primal Flight has won his past two starts in restricted class at the Gold Coast.
