by Terry Neil
AFTER all the excitement and glory of Group One success at the Breeders Challenge just three days earlier, Amanda Turnbull and Bernie Hewitt were happy to settle for “home ground” victories at Group One Feeds Paceway on Wednesday night.
Before a much smaller crowd, and in true winter conditions that were a test for even the hardiest of souls, they accounted for three of the eight races, on a night dominated by the Turnbull and Hewitt clans.
Amanda grabbed a double, to share driving honours with father Steve – between them, they won the first half of the program – while Bernie took out the sixth event before he and his son Doug supplied the placings for a Hewitt trifecta, behind brother Mark, in the 2YO race that closed out the meeting.
And Bernie’s nephew Dennis Picker added to the Hewitt-family tally by supplying one of Steve Turnbull’s winners, Rave On Rabbits, in the 3YO race, where he drove the runner-up for a stable quinella,remarkably one of five for the night.
Sunday’s double success at Menangle clearly paved the way for a night full of doubles up in the cold country come Wednesday night!
Steve Turnbull’s mastery was on display in the opening C1/C2 sprint, where he allowed Annie Matilda to settle towards the tail of the field in a fast-run affair before tracking into the race on the turn and powering home for a 1:55.9 victory.
And those who were prepared to forget the mare’s inglorious effort in a Rising Stars heat at Young, and instead remember her win for Turnbull two runs back, must have been giggling to themselves at her $33.90 starting quote.
In the fourth, a 3C0/3C1 sprint, Steve Turnbull got the best out of Rave On Rabbits, to overcome Showem Simon in a hard-fought finish, for that Picker quinella and a very jubilant track invasion by the well-known and popular Bourke family, who race the winner in between barracking for their beloved Rabbitohs.
Amanda drove the intervening two winners, and for good measure Steve drove both runners-up, for stable quinellas.
Hidden Courage sprinted sharply from the running line for a narrow but authoritative win over Sportygal in the 2260 metres C2/C3 second, making it three wins now from his last four runs, and earning praise from his driver: ” a very good effort for a three-year -old to beat this class of horse.”
Smithstars Lexus was locked up three-fence in the 2260 metres conditioned third, and stormed along the vacated sprint lane for an easy win, with Steve trailing through behind her to grab second with Holdonsu. Racecaller Anthony Manton made it his Bathurst RSL Drive of the Night award.
Chris Frisby – Steve Turnbull’s brother-in-law, and a very good trainer in his own right – started three runners in the 2260 metres C1 fifth and – you guessed it – got a quinella result. Mat Rue rated Our Wall Street Wolf NZ to perfection, slipping home in 57s for an easy win from the trailer Sharon’s Sheralee NZ ( Stephanie Burley).
Ima Black Beauty isn’t quite up to the likes of Bernie Hewitt’s Breeders Challenge winner Royal Story, but she’s pretty handy nevertheless, and Wednesday’s all-the-way win for Bernie, in a C0 sprint, was her fourth this season and took her earnings north of $50K. Doug Hewitt enjoyed a nice trail in the one-one with Gunna Cullect and chased hard down the straight for a fighting second and yet another stable quinella.
Ace Of Cardens (Nathan Hurst for Steve Jones) outstayed favourite Volaticus in the sprint-trip Maiden seventh, to provide the most sentimental win of the meeting, for owner Shona Stewart who has retained several of the horses she raced with her partner Mark Rawsthorne, who passed away tragically last year.
The field had a collective 218 race starts, the winner being one of the least experienced runners, with just four previous starts. Nathan Hurst, who only sees the horse on race nights, believes he’s capable of getting another win in the right race.
Mark Hewitt, who’s always been regarded as a dab hand with juveniles, lived up to his reputation when successful with Our Jack Starr NZ in the 2YO final event, improving from its debut second a week earlier to lead throughout in 1:59.3 with a 57.3s final half .The winner is a striking type by American Ideal, and should furnish into a magnificent three-year -old, with hopefully the ability to match .It was appropriate that Doug and Bernie Hewitt should drive the placegetters, for a Hewitt trifecta.
Mark and Amanda Turnbull have their own family connection, of the equine kind. Amanda’s Group One win last Sunday was achieved with four-year-old mare Eye See Diamonds, a half-sister to Two Eye See which Mark trained and drove to win the Seymour Classic a few years back, both Group One winners being bred by the Gibson family.
A well-timed night for two of our finest families, and what better venue than the appropriately-named Group One Feeds Paceway.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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