PACING
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THE new-season resurgence of Wendy Turnbull’s gelding Jethros An Eagle continued at the Bathurst Paceway on Wednesday evening as he recorded the second win of his career in relatively comfortable fashion.
Driven by Emma Turnbull, the $2.80 favourite went forward from gate four in the Three Year Old Pace (1730 metres) and settled into the lead early on. He was never headed from that point.
Though the race was always close, it didn’t look like any of the chasing group were going to make a serious charge for victory. In the end Jethros An Eagle was able to get home for a 2.2 metre victory.
“He has been excellent so far, he’s really kept it all together this season which wasn’t the case last year, we’re really happy to see him doing well,” Emma Turnbull said.
“He is bred well, his mother [La Saint] was NSW Broodmare of the Year a few years back so he has good genes.
“It has taken him a while to come around but right at the moment he is doing everything right.”
Initially when the gates folded back, it was The Marshall ($3.50) who was most prominent. But within a few hundred metres Jethros An Eagle had pulled clear after covering a little bit of extra ground, manoeuvred perfectly by Turnbull.
While he didn’t turn the afterburners on, opening quarters of 30.3 and 30.8 seconds were enough to keep the chasing pack honest.
The only pressure on the leader came from Swift Approval ($12.10), who sat just outside front spot, and The Marshall, who was tucked in behind Jethros An Eagle and well positioned to make use of the sprint lane.
The pace was ramped up slightly in the third sectional (30 seconds) before Turnbull set sail for home at the top of the straight with the rest of the field having hardly fired a shot.
As expected, The Marshall was taken clear into the sprint lane and got within a couple of metres but didn’t seriously threaten.
Swift Approval beat a late charge from Bertie Francis ($28.10) to hold on for third, 5.7 metres behind the winner.
The last quarter was completed in 28 seconds, for a mile rate of 1:58.4.
The three-year-old son of Real Desire out of La Saint had little success in his two-year-old season, managing just a couple of minor placings from eight races.
However, since resuming in early February he has clicked, picking up two wins, a second and a fourth in four starts.