PACING
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
AMANDA Turnbull already had reason to smile when she hung up her 2013 calendar as she was the most successful driver in NSW so far this season, but on Friday night at Parkes the The Lagoon star was grinning again.
She landing a winning double that included the biggest prize of the night, the $20,000 Parkes Leagues Club Gold Cup, aboard My Dusky Sound ($3.40).
Turnbull had the pick of three choice drives from her father Steve Turnbull’s stables in the feature at Parkes’ Carnival of Cups meeting and as is often the case, she pulled the right rein in electing to drive My Dusky Sound for prominent owners Rob Davis and Fiona Reed.
It was just four years ago that the same combination snared the 100th Anniversary Parkes Gold Cup with Scolari.
“It was more for owners, I usually drive the grey one for them, Im Blue Double Dee, but he [My Dusky Sound] drew better so I thought I’d better drive him,” she said of her decision.
After going from barrier four, Amanda Turnbull let others set the pace early, watching the leaders carve out opening sectionals of 31.1 and 30.9 seconds.
My Dusky Sound was one out and two back on the bell, but with 500 metres to go Turnbull made her winning move.
My Dusky Sound was the fresh horse on the scene and it enabled him to go straight by the leaders to score a comfortable 2m victory over Red Vee Hanover ($39.40, John O’Shea).
In the end My Dusky Sound equalled Ameer’s 10-year-old track record, returning a mile rating of 2:00.1 for the 2430 metre trip.
Turnbull said the way the race played out suited the five-year-old son of Western Terror perfectly.
“He’s got no gate speed at all so they got underneath him, pretty much all I could do was sit back and wait,” Turnbull said.
“They ran along well and he’s not overly quick, but he can run all day so it worked out well for him.
“It was a good race to win, Parkes is a great club and they are always good to us.”
Red Vee Hanover, trained in Bathurst by Ashlee Siejka, had led from barrier one but was worried out of it by the favourite God Send, whose driver Michael Muscat applied heavy pressure and was a spent force at the 400.
However, Red Vee Hanover was able to push on after a 29 seconds third sectional for a gallant second.
Steve Turnbull’s other runners, Ardle McArdle ($11.90) and Im Blue Double Dee ($8.90, Cindy Rixon) ran third and fourth respectfully after both enjoyed cosy trips on the pegs.
Amanda Turnbull’s first winner came earlier in the night when McArdles Chance ($1.40) had favourite backers cheering in the Telescope Tyres and Exide Batteries Pace (1660m).
McArdles Chance soaked up plenty of pressure early to go on and score by 31⁄2m over Itz The Promised One ($17.70, Kel Winnell), who tracked the winner every inch of the way.
Scots Legacy ($6.40, O’Shea) followed them through to grab third, 7m in arrears after racing three back along the pegs.
The double took the talented driver to 61 wins for the season thus far to which she can also add 42 second placings and 38 thirds.
“It’s been a really good start to the season, I usually start a bit slower,” she said.
Like his daughter, Steve Turnbull had also a great night as a trainer by landing three winners. Other than the pair Amanda drove, he also found success with Lamorak ($4.50) in the Nodtrain and Pepper Tree Farm Pace (1660m).
The trainer took the reins aboard the four-year-old and he gave the opposition something to chase over the sprint course.
Obviously he knew what he had under him as he gave Lamorak his head at the 600m mark, stealing a winning break.
His main danger Major Gambler ($2.20 favourite, Nathan Hurst) had to get around tiring horses and he was wearing Lamorak down, but the post loomed too soon with only half a head separating the pair.
Aunty Dawn ($12.50, Anthony Frisby) was some 17 metres back in third after she sat off the pace throughout.
The mile rating for the event was an impressive 1:57.4.