09 July 2018 | TERRY NEIL
FATHER and son Steve and Mitch Turnbull had to settle for the minor placings in Let It Ride’s barnstorming 1:49.4 victory in a Breeders Challenge Final the previous Sunday at Menangle but they bounced back in fine style by sharing a winning treble at their home track on Wednesday.
Steve trained three successive winners, driving the first two – Shandance NZ and Karloo Bentwofifty – and Mitchell “dive-bombing “ his fast-class rivals in Let It Ride fashion with the long-priced outsider Smithstars Lexus.
Shandance NZ made it two-from-two on Aussie soil with another impressive effort in the C0 Guaranteed. Ladyship Pace, settling behind leader Fastestgirlintown and proving just a touch too strong for that mare, scoring by almost two metres in a 1:56.5 rate.
Stu Valentine, the well-known bloodstock agent, might now be feeling quite satisfied that he wasn’t able to find owners for his latest import and consequently decided to race her himself. Plan B has produced a perfect result so far, and plenty of valuable publicity.
Karloo Bentwofifty completed the driving double for the leading NSW trainer when it led throughout in a 3C0-3C1 sprint, home in 58.2s for a 1:57.4 trip, his maiden win at start thirteen.
As in the previous race, Turnbull got the win at the expense of KerryAnn Turner, this time in a very tight photo, with the barest half-head margin back to Hannah Mae which had enjoyed a good run in the one-one before sprinting home strongly.
“I usually go on the position of the wheels in these close finishes. My bloke’s pretty big compared to KerryAnn’s filly, and when I checked that the wheels were level, I was pretty confident that we would get the result,” was his reply when asked about the finish.”
The American Ideal gelding arrived at The Lagoon in different circumstances from his earlier winner, sent down to Bathurst by Dubbo trainer Barry Lew when a serious shoulder injury, and subsequent operation, forced him to clear his stables for a lengthy recuperation.
He’d shown promise in a couple of earlier runs at Bathurst, but then turned in an inglorious performance when he failed to handle the track at Young, and he clearly needed the wide open spaces of his home track to produce his best.
It was another half-head result in the fast-class fifth event, when Mitch Turnbull turned in a slick performance with $23.70 chance Smithstars Lexus to get up right on the line in a most exciting finish.
Odds-on favourite Parramatta NZ led until halfway down the running, when Im Cool Harry loomed up wide, while Sabrage came hard along the sprint lane. But Smithstars Lexus, which had tracked into the race on the back of Im Cool Harry, came very late and very fast to get there just in time in a driving finish, stopping the clock in 1:55.9, the night’s best.
His young driver didn’t appear to be lining up the wheels, instead leaning back in the bike to lift the shafts, but he did indicate afterwards that his horse “travelled really well in the run, and when I was able to follow Im Cool Harry into the race, I was feeling quite confident he would run on,”
Other winners:
Crossfirehall in C1 grade for Bernie Hewitt, making use of the sprint lane to bring up the win for a very happy group of local league players and officials, which include former NRL star George Rose and Group 10 president Lenore Zamparini
Bettor To Be Tricky NZ, in a C2-C3 sprint, courtesy of a great drive from Kerryann Turner, setting the four-year-old alight up the back in a race-winning move, to the evident delight of long-time owner C. Rusten and his mate Mick Horan, who got to enjoy that special first win as an owner
Blaster Ranger, leading throughout for Junee Reefs visitor Matty Harris ( recipient of racecaller Mitch Manners’ Drive of the Night award ), a second successive win for the good-looking son of Caribbean Blaster, whose owner Rob Nalder would be pleased despite finishing third in the race with We Salute You
Ominous Warning ( John O’Shea for Peter Trevor-Jones) in a Reward Series heat, the half-brother to Beetson leading throughout and roaring away over the closing stages by more than 20 metres, for his seventh career win but just the first in his last two injury-interrupted seasons
Uncle Peter, all-the-way in the 2260 metres C1-C2 heat of the Penrith Mayors Cup, for Chris Frisby and reinsman son Anthony, who’s currently racking up lots of frequent flyer points winning multiple races at Albion Park, where most of the horses, and family, are dodging the Bathurst winter
Gabbys Sportstar, for Nathan Hurst in the HRNSW Guaranteed Two-Year-Old Pace, the Sportswriter first foal of classy racemare Gabrielle Solis – winner of 13 of her 28 race starts for the Hurst stable – making a perfect start to his career, and also providing a neat sprint-laning book-end to the meeting.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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