19 December 2017 | Terry Neil
TURNBULL and Rue were the dominant names on the scoreboard after a highly successful and well-attended Bathurst Gold Crown Paceway meeting last Friday.
Amanda Turnbull scored a driving treble, two of them for father Steve and the third with her own runner Eliza Dushku in the feature Bathurst RSL Club Soldiers Saddle Final.
The Bettors Delight mare, a weakening fourth in the previous week’s semi-finals, was not expected to seriously threaten her conqueror from that race, Redbelly Jack, and her prospects were reflected in an $8.50 starting price.
Her driver wasn’t having any of that script, however. After cutting out a solid pace in the lead, with Redbelly Jack sitting outside her after working around the field from his second-row draw, she upped the tempo with a brilliant 27.0 seconds third quarter that left many of the chasing pack struggling.
Just as she looked to have the better of Redbelly Jack, Sonny Studleigh came with a big sprint down the centre of the track and looked certain to run past her, which would have been a first feature win for young Blayney reinsman Jake Davis.
But that deft touch in tight finishes was again on display with Turnbull sitting quietly in the cart, coaxing the best out of her mare to hold on by a half-neck margin. The 1730 metres distance was covered in 2:02.6, a mile rate of 1:54.1, fastest of the night.
The win completed the treble for the remarkable reinswoman, after earlier successes with the fast-finishing El Gran Señor NZ in the opening C0/C1 sprint- the 1:55 mile rate setting the bar for a night of very slick times – and with sprint-laning Intransit in the fast-class fourth, after hot-pot Karloo Threeothree looked to have the race shot to bits.
In between those wins, Steve Turnbull scored with Switowski in a C2/C3 sprint, to give him an eventual training treble for the night, and son Mitchell, who took the drive, the bragging rights after just collaring girlfriend Steph Burley on What A Curtainraiser.
The exchange between them just past the line was -according to Mitch – an enquiry as to which of them had won, or a rebuke of her “not very nice boyfriend”, in Steph’s account!
Half of the card featuring the Turnbull name made It pretty much your standard Bathurst meeting, but with wins in three of the remaining races, the Rue family gave them a real run for their money last Friday.
Wrangler Duke (Trent Rue for father-in-law Tony Hagney, the track curator) was authoritative in finishing over the top of his rivals in a C2 conditioned sprint, to justify his odds-on quote.
After enjoying a good trip in the running line, Rue was happy to commence his run three-wide at the 500-metres point, confident that the Camotion seven-year-old would have too many guns for his opposition. And so it proved to be.
In a second division of this class later in the night, the Rues were again to the fore, with Miss Ives ( Mat Rue for his uncle Greg ) producing a similar barnstorming finish to win easily, in the process relegating cousin Trent to the minor place on Tim McGee.
Trent returned the favour in the closing race, leading throughout with his own Ladyjessicashannon, breaking maiden status at her fifteenth race start, to relegate Mat driving the Peter Bullock-trained Rosemary Shannon to runner-up.
A Rue-ful night at the races, in the best sense of the word.
The other names that made it onto the winners’ list were Lester Hewitt and driver John O’Shea, who combined with the promising What A Jolt to score in a C2/C3 sprint, doing plenty of work from a wide draw to find the front, and showing plenty of determination to hold off favourite Moon Ovr Manhattan, which had enjoyed the trail.
John O’Shea’s well-rated effort saw him receive racecaller Anthony Manton’s Drive of the Night Award.
Bathurst race again this Wednesday evening, then it’s an all-roads-lead-to-Bathurst for the Carnival of Cups meeting, featuring the $50,000 Group Two Shirley Turnbull Memorial on Boxing Night.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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