12 July 2023 | HRNSW MEDIA | MICHAEL DUMESNY
IT has been well-documented that the past 18 months for Bathurst trainer-driver Nathan Turnbull has been the best in his harness racing career to date.
But even Turnbull himself could not have imagined that he would end up with two three-year-olds that are potentially the best of their age group in this state.
Turnbull’s magic run began last year when he produced Better Be The Best, who now boasts a 10-win record that includes a NSW Derby.
It is a trainer’s dream to have a Derby horse in the stable but on Saturday night at Albion Park, Turnbull claimed his second Blue Riband classic when his other three-year-old, On Deadline scored a narrow win in the listed South East Derby.
Just weeks away from a racetrack return, Better Be The Best will miss the inaugural TAB Eureka and will instead be prepared for the Breeders Challenge Blue series, the equivalent feature that he won in dashing fashion last season as a two-year-old.
“We just felt that the Blue series was the best way to go with him this year,” said Turnbull.
“He was so dominant in last year’s final and, hopefully, the Eureka will be an option for us to look forward to next year – all going well.”
Better Be The Best has not been seen at the races since doing it all wrong at the start before having a torrid run and finishing fourth the Gold Chalice final at Bathurst in March.
Turnbull is more than happy with the way the colt has come back from a break and is confident he will be a major player in upcoming feature races.
Meanwhile, the plan for On Deadline after he was able to out-dash Naturally Gifted last week is to contest the $150,000 Queensland Derby at Albion Park on Saturday week.
On Deadline was given the perfect run by Turnbull in the South East Derby after settling on the leader’s back and he packed too many guns in the run to the line to score by a slender margin, bringing up his 12th win and first feature.
“He had shown that he deserved the trip north and he did not let us down,” said the Bathurst horseman.
“Being able to run down a horse like Naturally Gifted is not an easy task and I was rapt in the way he displayed that will to win.”
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