New training partnership chasing first winner at Doomben

By Glenn Davis

The new all-female training partnership of Gillian Heinrich and Renita Beaton are hopeful Prime Asset can overcome a wide barrier to give them their first winner at Doomben on Wednesday.

Heinrich and Beaton recently formed a training partnership and had their first starter at the Sunshine Coast on July 30.

The pair has now saddled a dozen starters for five placings and will have three starters lining up at Doomben.

Heinrich won’t be trackside to share in any success as she and husband, Hoss, jet out of to Europe on Wednesday for a further update from specialists in her long-running battle with bowel cancer.

However, Henrich has been told she is now cancer free following her health battle.

Prime Asset – a Ben Thompson mount – drew barrier 13 in the Benchmark 70 Handicap over 1350 metres and is coming off a last start third in a 1350-metre Benchmark race at Doomben on July 26.

The five-year-old son of Star Witness has won only three of his 20 starts but has placed at his past five appearances.

“He’s racing well and is a big strong horse,” Heinrich said.

“Before his last placing at Doomben he was placed at his previous two starts at Beaudesert but he couldn’t get around the tight track.

“Doomben will be a lot better for him but he’s got an awkward draw.

“We will sit down and do the speeds maps in the race but Ben Thompson is a very good jockey and he should be able to find a good spot.”

Beaton began training solo in June last year and trained her first winner when Surcote won a 1410 metre maiden at Lismore in November last year.

Beaton hails from New Zealand and worked for five years for leading trainer Rob Heathcote during the “Buffering” era.

Beaton and her partner, Troy Schmetzer, rode track work for nearly six years in Hong Kong before arriving back in Queensland and originally started training from the Sunshine Coast before moving to the Gold Coast.

Schmetzer also works for the training partnership as its racing manager.