AS a mother of one of the state’s top drivers and wife of a legendary trainer, Jenny Turnbull often has reason to be a proud spectator at Bathurst Paceway.
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However, when the track hosts the finals of the annual Gold Crown Carnival on Saturday night, she will be more excited and proud of her family than usual.
She will also have a lot of races to scrutinise.
Her husband Steve Turnbull has qualified runners for the three-year-old Gold Bracelet and Gold Chalice finals and holds three chances in the Group 1 Gold Tiara for two-year-old fillies.
Daughter Amanda Turnbull will drive in the Gold Tiara, Crown, Chalice and Bracelet finals, while sons Josh and Nathan, trainers in their own right, are a chance of success as well.
Josh has qualified Shot To Stardom for the Gold Tiara Final and Nathan will be hoping Sams The Master can find glory in the Gold Crown Final.
And to add one more family touch, Jenny owns Written In Style, who will contest the $40,000 Gold Chalice Final for three-year-old colts and geldings.
“I am always proud because I get to see how hard they work at home,” she said.
“It’s a thrill for Josh, it’s really exciting, because he really didn’t think he had a chance, and Nathan has been sick in the stomach for weeks because he hasn’t had a lot of time to work with his.
“It’s lovely for them, it’s very exciting, and people probably don’t realise how excited we get because we do it all the time.
“My one, Written In Style, they actually roused on me for paying up ... now look at him, he’s in the final.”
Of all the races the Turnbulls will be involved in on Saturday night, including the consolation finals and the Mayors Cup, it is the Gold Tiara for two-year-old fillies where they will have their greatest presence.
For all their success at Bathurst Harness Racing Club meetings over the years, the Turnbulls are yet to lay their hands on the Tiara trophy.
Josh’s Shot To Stardom grabbed a place in the final thanks to being one of the fastest third placegetters in last Thursday night’s heats.
She will go from barrier four with John O’Shea, a driver who has previously won the Gold Crown, in the gig.
Steve has three members of his Radiant Lodge team in action – Heavenly Shades, Pixies Parlour and Cherry Mahoney.
Though Heavenly Shades, who will be driven by Bruce Birch, is the outsider of the field as a $101 chance, the other pair are considered among the contenders.
Cherry Mahoney ($6) covered the second half of the mile in her heat win in a zippy 56.5 seconds while Pixies Parlour ($5) scorched home in her respective heat.
“We’ve had a pretty good carnival so far,” Steve, who will drive Cherry Mahoney on Saturday night, said.
“I’d say probably Pixies is the best chance out of those three because she is the most versatile, so can do a bit of work and still sprint home.
“Amanda is going to drive her. She drew six, so that could be better, but she isn’t too bad a chance.”