WHEN The Lagoon trainer Steve Turnbull headed to Menangle Park on Sunday he did so with the hope of featuring in at least one of the NSW Breeders Challenge Group 1 finals being staged. In the end he did much better than that.

With his daughter Amanda Turnbull in the gig, Steve Turnbull’s Conviction won the headline Group 1, $127,500 NSW Breeders Challenge Final (1,609 metres) for two-year-old colts and gelding.

The trainer then drove Mouse In The House ($10.70) to victory in the last Group 1 race of the day, the four-year-old gelding and entires final (1,609m).

He also came within a head of winning the Group 1 four-year-old mares final with Hey Porsha ($18.30), former Bathurst resident John McCarthy taking the honours aboard $36.20 outsider Sapphire Stride.

“It was a big day. We were hoping our two-year-olds would go okay, they had been doing really well and I thought they were two good chances,” Turnbull said.

“The one that drew bad [Conviction] was able to cross and sit outside the leader and win from there. The other one [Atomic Red], it was a bit of a bummer that he got stuck wide.

“I think they both ran enormous.”

After placing second in his NSW Breeders Challenge heat then winning his semi-final, Turnbull’s For A Reason x Safely Grattan gelding Conviction was the $2.90 second elect in the two-year-old final.

It was Three Of The Best who held $2.60 favouritism, a title Turnbull thought could very well have belonged to his chance.

“His [Conviction] semi-final win was really good, I was surprised the other one was the favourite because I didn’t think it was as impressive as ours in the semis. But in saying that, I guess he drew one and ours drew nine,” Turnbull said.

With the scratching of the one of the emergencies, Conviction ended up starting from barrier eight on Sunday, but he still had work to do once the green light was given.

Amanda Turnbull urged him forward and was able to settle in the death seat outside leader Awesome Stride, while the favourite was third in the trail.

The opening quarter was a hot 27 seconds, but after that things eased a little. That played into Conviction’s hands.

With 600m to go he was half a length off the lead, but by the time they hit the final bend, Amanda Turnbull had him in front and travelling well.

When Three Of The Best got clear down the straight he did manage to make up ground, but Conviction held on to win by 1.4m. 

Having been caught three wide the entire journey, Atomic Red  ($8.80) placed fifth with Steve Turnbull in the gig.

“She’s [Amanda] had to go forward from that draw, if you go back and they get home in a fast time you are not going to go any good,” the winning trainer said.

“She got him outside the leader and was able to relax and get an easy quarter and from there it was game on.”

Clocking a 1:53.5 mile rate as he took his career record to four wins and three placings from nine starts, Conviction impressed his driver.

“It was a super tough effort. I had to go for home a bit early, but he was never going to let that one past,” Amanda Turnbull said.

“When he heard them coming he was right and knuckled down to hold them off.

“When he got beaten at Bathurst [in his heat] he proved to us how tough he really was and I learned a bit about him that night.”