Filly could be Gillian’s next Rose
TWO-TIME cancer survivor Gillian Heinrich has set about trying to win a second $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic with the foal of her first champion Military Rose.
Just months after overcoming a second bout of cancer, Heinrich has started what she hopes to be her journey back to the peak of her racing powers.
The respected Gold Coast trainer went to Wednesday’s Magic Millions yearling sales with the sole intention of getting Lot 84 — a filly by All Too Hard out of Military Rose — in order to chase a fairytale second 2YO Classic win with the bloodline.
“We were really happy with that. She is just absolutely beautiful,” Heinrich said of the filly bought for $500,000.
“Everybody wanted her and when we looked at her I said, ‘I don’t care — that’s the only one we have to get. We have just got to get her’.”
She is one of just three Gold Coast trainers to win the race along with inaugural winner Sally Keays (nee Rogers) who won with Snippets in 1987 and Toby Edmonds who won the 2017 event with Houtzen.
It’s been a tough three years for Heinrich who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2015.
Heinrich successfully fought it off but received the shock news last year that a small cancer had gone into her lungs.
“It wasn’t good to get the second one, obviously. I had the all clear on the bowel and it worked,” Heinrich said of her latest battle.
“I feel good and that’s the main thing.”
Heinrich’s cancer battle forced her to take a step back from her work at the stables as training partner Ben Rodgers worked to keep their horses running.
She returned late last year and hopes to remain healthy and work full-time in 2018.
“I’m hoping to God that this year we get a positive result and I’ll be back full-time,” Heinrich said.
“It’s hard work and it’s been hard on Ben.
“I can’t be there and he is only young. I can’t be there to get him through stuff that he probably needs me for because I’ve been getting treated.
“I just want to train plenty of winners and put the stable back where we used to be this year. Also to obviously win the 2YO Classic with that particular filly we bought.”