WHEN Emma Turnbull was forced to drop to the rear with Lucky Iffy from a tricky barrier seven draw in Wednesday night’s Join The Owners Association Pace, she admitted she was concerned.
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But by the time the field had covered the 1,730 metre journey at the Bathurst Paceway, those concerns were gone.
The five-year-old trained by her mother Wendy Turnbull at The Lagoon showed just how much he has improved as he came from the rear to snatch victory.
Given the final two quarters of the mile when Lucky Iffy was charging three-wide were covered in 29.3 and 28.9 seconds, it was an impressive victory too.
“I thought from seven we’d have to go back and I was a bit worried as we got back a fair way,” Emma Turnbull said.
“But he surprised me in the way the he ran time, I was very happy.”
After Luck Iffy opened as a $17 chance, the Ifihadyourluck x Venie McDee gelding gained some support and had shortened to $7.30 by the time the green light was given.
But while Counting Stars and Head And Shoulders both got out well and vied for the lead, Lucky Iffy dropped back to the rear.
Head And Shoulders, with Mitch Turnbull in the gig, did enough to cross from barrier four while Counting Stars sat in the trail.
The frontrunner clocked a zippy 28.2 seconds opening split as Bustling Barney moved three wide into the death seat, but the tempo then backed off.
Mitch Turnbull was able to pinch a breather for Head And Shoulders through a 31.9 second quarter, retaining the lead even though Bustling Barney inched closer.
Behind them Emma Turnbull sensed her chance and set off from the rear with Lucky Iffy. While the pace then picked up, her gelding quickly made up ground.
Into the final bend it was Head And Shoulders with the lead, while stablemates Bustling Barney and Lucky Iffy made it a line of three as they turned.
Favourite Runaway Jolt came four wide to join them in a battle down the home straight, but with 60m to go Lucky Iffy got in front.
Lucky Iffy went on to win by 1½ lengths in a 1:57.0 mile rate, with Head And Shoulders ($7.20) holding off Runaway Jolt ($2.40) for second by a half head.
It was the third win of Luck Iffy’s 21-start career, but his record this season now stands at two wins and third from four runs.
“I just thought that not many would take me and they weren’t going that quick when we took off,” Turnbull said.
“He did a good job, he’s come a long way this season.”
