NO-ONE was stopped red hot favourite Governor Jujon in Monday's Group 2 Simpson Memorial (1,609 metres) at Menangle but Steve Turnbull could still return to The Lagoon content with a placing in the $50,000 three-year-old classic.
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Governor Jujon ($2.20, Robbie Morris) powered home after leading the entire trip while Smooth Baht ($21, Steve Turnbull) finished well from his comfortable trip to wind up just behind Mach Da Vinci ($16, Blake Fitzpatrick).
The Grant Dixon-trained Governor Jujon seemed to be almost idling along in the run for home but actually ran out a final quarter of 26.2 to win in a mile rate of 1:52:8.
Turnbull gave his runner every opportunity after avoiding any unnecessary work through the race.
Smooth Baht was quick to find the sit behind leader Governor Jujon in the early stages while the other Bathurst-trained entrant in the race, Amanda Turnbull's Sonny Weaver, had to put in a bit of work to find the death seat.
Sonny Weaver didn't stay there long as Ronaldo worked wide to race alongside the leader.
The two Bathurst horses raced side by side throughout, until Sonny Weaver faded over the closing 200m.
Smooth Baht gave chase but the win was already out of his reach with 100m to run.
He nearly held on for second until Mach Da Vinci flashed home late.
Georges Plains trainer-driver Bernie Hewitt had initially intended to start both Rock Fisherman and The Mustang in the Simpson Memorial, but scratched those runners as well as his reserve Dukkah after the meeting was shifted from Saturday night to Monday.
He instead had six runners line up in Monday night's Bathurst Harness Racing Club meeting.
Though disappointing his stablemates did not get the chance to contest the Group 2 feature, Hewitt is currently preparing a promising crop of juveniles with an eye to Group races staged at the Bathurst Gold Crown Carnival.
He wants to have them primed for the Gold Crown and Gold Tiara features for two-year-olds, those series' boasting Group 1 finals.
"We probably concentrate more on the young ones now this term more than last, we were a bit late with them last year as it turned out getting them ready," Hewitt said.
"So we've trialled a number of them now already and some of them are shaping up pretty good, I'm hoping by the time February ticks over, another month, we'll have quite a number of two-year-olds at the races.
"There hasn't been a two-year-old race in New South yet, but they'll pop up over the next few weeks."
