After a string of minors, Thirsty Sportsman finally manages to post his second career win

While the four-year-old gelding had only finished out of the minor placings twice in his 14 starts prior to Wednesday run, he'd managed just the one victory.

That's why Burke enjoyed the win so much.

"He's just a funny horse, he feels like he wants to do it but doesn't put it all together in one package," Turnbull said.

"He's been once out of the money in his life, he's either run second or third or fourth, he's done a really good job, but I think that one day things might just click with him a bit more and he might end up going that little bit further.

"He's named after Thirsty, a Bathurst legend, so it was nice to get the win."

In the gig for her trainer-mother Wendy Turnbull, the The Lagoon driver was not troubled when Halloween ($5.50) flew out from barrier five and was able to cross Thirsty Sportsman ($4.20), who had gone from the inside of the front line.

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As the bell sounded Thirsty Sportsman was a length behind Halloween and while the pace lifted down the back, Turnbull's chance stuck with the leader.

She eased him off the pegs with around 450m to go, but not finding a clear run, then ducked back inside at the top of the straight.

Thirsty Sportsman sprinted to the lead and while a wall of runners came back at him, he held on to win by a half head over Laurence Dawson's Halloween.

Dawson's other runner, $2.30 favourite Louis Litt, was just a short half head further back.

"He travelled really well. I thought he was going to win by further, he sort of got to the front and didn't keep going with it, but he did what he had to do anyway," Turnbull said.

"I was a little bit worried, I thought 'keep going' because he wasn't kicking away from them, but he did enough."

That win was one of two for Turnbull, as she also steered Taylors Watch ($9.50) to victory for her mother in a career best 1:56.5 mile rate.

That double came on the back of a success at Young the previous night with Nicolescruiser ($3.40).

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