MAINTAINING a long three-wide run on small track isn't the easiest of paths towards a harness racing victory but Bell River Boy pulled it off in Sunday afternoon's Peter Marshall Memorial (2,000 metres) at Blayney.
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It was a dramatic edition of the Blayney feature race, with one of the best-backed runners Hold My Halo galloping out the back of the field in the early stages to leave the event wide open.
The Josh Turnbull-trained Bell River Boy ($34, Nathan Turnbull) found his sixth career win the hard way, fighting his way to the front on the turn for home before holding off a late challenge from Turbo Tommy ($18, Jake Davis) by three metres.
Goodtime Junior ($8.50, John Downey) completed a high-unlikely trifecta, which paid almost a handsome $4,000 if you were lucky enough to pick it.
"He had to make a big run from the 600m. He was one of the outsiders, so it was a bit unexpected, but he did well to come away with the win," Josh Turnbull said.
"It was a pretty good field. A couple of the better ones had a good draw, so it was all against him, but that's racing. Two of the favourites took themselves out in the first turn, and that's what can happen at these small tracks."
The drama began when Mat Rue tried to lead Hold My Halo ($4.40) to the front from the widest gate but his filly reared up, contacting favourite Alta Billy ($3.70, Justin Reynolds) in the process.
Both affected runners dropped to the back of the field, giving the longer-priced runners greater hopes of causing an upset in the $13,000 race.
Drive To The Beach initially took up the running before Captain Oh Captain worked forward with haste to show the way.
The big move came when Alta Billy made a bid to get back to the front of the field at the start of the final lap, and Nathan Turnbull didn't miss the chance to latch on the back of him with Bell River Boy.
Turnbull then went four wide around Alta Billy before the turn for home to try and take on the leaders.
Bell River Boy showed that he had a lot to give, powering past Captain Oh Captain and Tamanisha Terror before straightening for home.
Turbo Tommy finished strongly but there was no catching Bell River Boy, who won in a 2:03.0 mile rate.
Turnbull said it was a gritty way to take out a race.
"When he took off he wasn't travelling that good. Then when he made his move, probably from the 500m, he started to move pretty good," he said.
"I still felt he was a bit of a sitting duck being out there for so long but full credit to him because he fought them off right to the line."
Josh and Nathan Turnbull almost claimed the double in the main events at Blayney, finishing second in the Peter Marshall Consolation (2,000m).
Their runner Lucky Cruz ($19) finished just behind Nigel Frisby's Four For The Road ($6.50, Olivia Frisby) in the lead-up event.
"It would have been nice to get the double. My wife owns both of the horses so it was a great day out for us," Turnbull said.
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