28 April 2021 | HRNSW MEDIA | MICHAEL DUMESNY
IT is not unusual for Amanda Turnbull to drive multiple winners on a program.
Yet the ease in which she landed a treble at Forbes on Sunday must have opposing drivers perplexed as to how they can possibly beat her when she is sitting behind fancied runners.
All of Turnbull’s winners were three-year-olds trained by her father Steve, and proved far superior to their older opposition.
“These horses are all nice three-year-olds that drew well today and were dropping in grade somewhat,” said Turnbull.
Mach Daddy won by a widening 30 metre margin in the Helloworld Travel Ted Clifford Memorial after Amanda rated the gelding to perfection.
It was almost an identical scenario for Saint Julien, who took out the Les Findley Memorial after leading throughout and scoring by 15 metres, appearing to have something in reserve.
Both these youngsters will vie for favouritism in Sunday’s $12,000 Forbes Club final, along with the other heat winner, Substitooth which is trained by Amanda’s brother Josh.
Turnbull ended the afternoon with her third winner, Drive To The Beach, which also led throughout and looked the winner a long way from home in a heat of the Jack Honan Memorial.
“I can drive these horses and they go well for me,” said dad Steve.
“But when Amanda gets on them, they go all that much better; horses just run for her.”
Amanda appears set to better her performance from the weekend at Bathurst tonight where she has eight plum drives.
She will drive Saint Veran in the final event, a gelding that ran third on debut last Wednesday night.
The two-year-old will be looking to join his successful siblings that have performed well on the track.
His dam, Sheezallattitude has produced four winners, which have all been trained by Steve.
Art Series, Myra Dawn, Saint Emilion and Saint Julien are all multiple winners for the Targett family, who will been keen to see Saint Veran add to the impressive record of their great producing mare.
Of the six horses going around at Bathurst tonight that Amanda trains herself, the most interesting runner is New Zealand-bred gelding Urus, which is having his first race start.
The son of Sportswriter won a Bathurst trial on April 19 and despite drawing wide in Race 7, he will be hard to hold out.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
