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By Julieanne Horsman

It’s no secret Quirimbas relishes racing at her home track.

The three-year-old filly has notched a win and two seconds from three starts at Gundagai and will be out to add to her record this Saturday.

She is nominated for both the Tooheys Extra Dry Benchmark 50 Handicap (1400m) and the Tooheys New Class 2 Plate (1180m) but will only accept for the latter.

“She has had three and a half weeks between runs so I think the shorter distance will be better,” trainer Andrew Sheahan said.

Quirimbas notched the first win of her career in her most recent start over 1400m at Gundagai. Sent out favourite, she led most of the way, holding off a wall of challengers in the straight to win by a short head.

For Sheahan, it couldn’t have come sooner.

“Getting that first win with her was such a relief,” he said.

“The run was the opposite to her usual racing pattern of getting back and running home.

“She would always finish like a steam train but she gave them too much of a start.

“The blinkers seem to have made a difference too.”

Quirimbas is a source of much frustration for her trainer, who rides all his own track work except for her.

“She is quirky and has to do most of her work led by another horse,” he said.

“She is hard to do slow pace work with because it’s not fast enough for her and she darts all over the track.

“Megan Taylor (jockey) comes down from Tumut once a week to ride her which I am grateful for.”

Taylor was aboard for Quirimbas’ last start win and again has the mount on Saturday.

“She can get the most out of the horse and if she runs up to her work last Saturday, she will be hard to beat."

Quirimbas had one start for Godolphin at Pakenham in Victoria and after finishing fifth, was sold to Andrew Sheahan’s cousins, Mick and John Sheahan for $20,000.

View the nominations (including form and race replays) for Gundagai's Saturday meeting here.