LAST season the Turnbull family won three of the Bathurst Harness Racing Club’s premierships and on Friday night the clan showed they will be a force in 2016-17 as well.
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Steve Turnbull, who won last season’s trainer of the year, picked up three wins. One of those races saw him post a quinella with members of his Radiant Lodge team, while he picked up a trifecta in another.
His daughter Amanda Turnbull, who had the best winning strike rate of any driver at the Bathurst Paceway last season, continued to impress.
She won aboard favourites Written In Style ($1.50) and Oh I Am The One ($1.90) and was narrowly beaten home by a neck when placing second with Dillon ($3.30). All three were trained by her father.
Her younger brother Mitch Turnbull, who was the junior driver of the year, sprung the upset of the evening when he took out the Reliance Pace (2,260 metres) with $53 chance Montana Shadow.
A six-year-old mare by Royal Mattjesty out of Montana Mach, the Steve Turnbull trained Montana Shadow went into Friday night’s race with a record of two wins from 32 starts.
After going from barrier five, Mitch Turnbull dropped back to the rear of the the running line while Amanda took the lead with Dillon.
Down the back straight the final time Montana Shadow made a lighting move to get within a head of her stablemate as they hit the bend.
They went neck-and-neck down the straight, with Montana Shadow sneaking ahead in the final 20 metres to win in a 2:02.2 mile rate.
While narrowly missing out in that race, earlier in the evening Amanda got the nod in a tight finish when driving Written In Style.
The five-year-old Sportswriter gelding sat in the death seat for much of the Farwell Don Clough OAM Pace (2,260 metres), only taking the lead with 110m to go.
Dont Tell Errol ($16, Jason Turnbull) flashed home late, but Written In Style held on to win by a half neck.
“It’s not really his game, but we just lobbed there early,” Amanda Turnbull said.
“The track’s pretty heavy, but it’s real good.”
While Amanda Turnbull said Written In Style was “too lazy” to punch on from the death seat and challenge for the lead after rolling up outside the leader in the opening half of the race, he did look comfortable there.
It was Trent Rue’s Wrangler Duke, who showed impressive gate speed from barrier six, who set the tempo for much of the race.
Written In Style finally tackled Wrangler Duke down the straight and did enough to make it two wins from as many starts this season.
