Hold My Halo scores third career win for Amanda Turnbull with front-running victory at Bathurst Paceway

In her eighth career start Hold My Halo ($2.10 favourite) led for the entire trip and picked up her third success, holding off a strong late challenge from Cassius Deck ($3.20, Steve Turnbull) in the closing strides.

The smart Betterthancheddar three-year-old filly could soon prove to be a great city-class challenger for Turnbull when the opportunity presents itself.

"She's been going awesome lately. She's just been getting held out or finding it a bit tough. Tonight when she got it a bit easier in the lead she was always going to be hard to beat," Turnbull said.

"If she gets back in against the three-year-old fillies - which we didn't see tonight, and that's a shame - she would probably have had a bit on them. Back in her own grade [at Sydney] she might be able to have a go at them."

Amanda Turnbull slowly drew Hold My Halo up towards the front of the field from her starting position of gate three.

Leah Shannon got away fastest, to her inside, but Hold My Halo worked to the lead as runners entered the first turn.

Hold My Halo's biggest threat, Cassius Deck, settled one out and two back, trailing Shifty Nicolosi and Goodtime Hero.

The field continued to cruise along in the same formation until there was 500 metres to run.

Steve Turnbull went to make his move at that stage but was a little unfortunate because Tom Pay, on Goodtime Hero, also chose that time to pull out wide for the run home.

That shift forced Cassius Deck into a tough four-wide run around the bend while Hold My Halo continued to put out a consistently solid tempo in front.

The extra ground to cover would prove costly for Cassius Deck, who mounted a big challenge to the leader but would ultimately come up 2.1 metres short of victory.

Michael Muscat's Pilch ($12) showed a brilliant turn of foot to run out of a tough position into third place, a further five metres behind.

The winning mile rate for Hold My Halo was a new career best of 1:57.9.

Hold My Halo has missed a place on just one occasion in her eight starts to date.

Turnbull had two wins on the night after she drove her horse Old Luke to success in the Hynash Constructions Pace (1,730m).

Mat Rue was the other driver to score two wins at Wednesday night's Bathurst meeting.

His double began with Greg Rue's Best Beau in the TAB Long May We Play Pace and ended with Peter Trevor-Jones' Burns Bay in the Bourkes Horse Rugs Pace (both 1,730m).

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