IT might be Pheasants Nest where Cindy Rixon and her husband Peter train their small team of horses, but she will readily admit attending Bathurst Harness Racing Club meetings still feels like being home.
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Cindy Rixon grew up at The Lagoon, learning about the harness racing industry from her legendary trainer-driver father AD 'Tony' Turnbull.
It was no great surprise she went on to become involved in the industry and that her own family is now part of it too.
Her husband Peter is a seven-time Group 1 winning trainer, while their children Will, Hannah and Ellen all drive.
Will currently sits eighth on the list of the leading concession drivers in the state with 55 wins, the most recent of which came at the Bathurst Paceway on Wednesday night. Cindy was there to watch on.
"It's always good to come home," she said.
Team Rixon had Oursouthernstar, a three-year-old A Rocknroll Dance x Our Southern Belle filly line up in the Become A Member NSWSOA Pace (1,730 metres). It was her second run after a four-month spell.
First-up at Penrith two weeks prior she had finished 35.1m off the pace, but Cindy Rixon explained that trip just did not unfold favourably.
"Her last start was her first start, it was a bad draw and she just got shuffled back and they sprinted hard," she said.
At Bathurst Oursouthernstar ($3.60) fared much better from her barrier four draw.
She showed good gate speed and had her neck in front, but Shez Grinin ($2.40 favourite) kicked inside her to take the lead. Will Rixon then opted to ease off and settle Oursouthernstar one out and one back.
With 650 to go Oursouthernstar was one-and-a-quarter lengths behind the favourite, but as they balanced at the top of the straight there was a neck in it.
While Amy Rees guided Allegretto ($23) into the sprint lane and Jake Davis had Turbo Tommy ($5.50) on the charge four-wide, Oursouthernstar hit the lead with just over 100m to go.
She held on to win by 2m over Allegretto in a 1:58.0 mile rate.
"We would have liked to have led that race, but since they didn't go too hard it actually worked out well. She's better off on the speed once they quicken," Cindy Rixon said.
"No I wasn't confident, I thought they were coming, but Will said she fought on when she got up to them."
