WHEN Jason Turnbull first drove Blood Money in 2018 he did not think much of the gelding as it finished more than 40 metres off the pace, but now he holds a very different opinion.
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Now Blood Money is a member of his trainer-mother Wendy Turnbull's team and on Wednesday night at the Bathurst Paceway, Jason Turnbull drove him to his third consecutive win.
It took the Mr Feelgood x Now Not Later gelding's record for the Turnbulls to four wins from seven starts.
"He's been a real find, when he came his form was bad and I drove him as a two-year-old and I really didn't like him," Jason Turnbull admitted.
"But we brought three off Mark and Noel Daly and I told him when I was speaking to him I wanted Preachers Daughter but I didn't necessarily want the other two, but he's one of the other two and has turned out to be the best of the lot.
"We syndicated them, we've got eight people who have shares in them all and a couple of people are first time owners, so it's really good.
"We are just doing our thing and it just seems to be working for him."
Though Blood Money had won his past two starts, in Wednesday night's TAB Odds and Evens Pace (1,730 metres) he was sent out as a $7 chance while $1.90 favouritism belonged to Steve Jones' Surfing Clear.
From barrier two Surfing Clear started well to take the early lead, but after going from gate eight Turnbull punched forward with Blood Money and went on to cross the favourite.
As the bell sounded Surfing Clear was tucked in behind Blood Money, who enjoyed a lead of just over a length.
Down the back straight Jake Davis charged three wide with Turbo Tommy and pressured Blood Money, but it was in the bend that the decisive moment came.
Surfing Clear broke stride and that brief gallop gifted Blood Money a big advantage over him.
Blood Money hit the home straight with the lead and Turnbull knew at that point he had the race won. He ended up finishing 4m clear of Surfing Clear with Turbo Tommy a further 2.5m back in third.
"It was up behind me and it was sort of gurgling and carrying on a bit, it was up on the bit I presumed, but I looked back at the 400 and saw it had dropped off," Turnbull said of Surfing Clear.
"I thought 'Oh well, beauty', I thought I had the one outside me covered. They said it got back down and came home good, but the bird had flown by then.
"He tries his guts out and just goes out and does his thing."
