Hewitts hoping stars will align in Bathurst's Boxing Day feature

The Bathurst Harness Racing Club will host its annual Shirley Turnbull Memorial meeting on Boxing Day, with the feature race named in honour of the late Shirley Turnbull, wife to the late Tony 'AD' Turnbull.

The feature race is much coveted by Bathurst trainers but it also attracts a number of leading trainers and drivers from across the state and this year is no exception.

The Bernie Hewitt-trained Ripp is the only Bathurst-trained horse in the field (Nathan Turnbull's Faze of Glory has been named as an emergency).

After all his years in Bathurst, Hewitt is yet to win the Shirley Turnbull Memorial and he'll be hoping to break his duck next Tuesday, in what is likely to be his son Doug's final meeting before heading north to set up shop in Queensland.

"It's one I'd like to get, that's for sure," Hewitt said.

"Any win's a good one but obviously Shirley Turnbull is one that all the locals like to win."

Hewitt is well aware of the decent field and he's hoping Ripp can put his best foot forward.

"There were some really decent horses in it," he said.

"He's been a bit down in form too, so I'm hoping he can bounce back and get the right sort of race.

"It's a long decent trip that one [2790 metres] but I'm hoping he can sit off the speed and finish off with them, that's for sure."

Ripp has drawn barrier four in the second row, sandwiched between Peter Hanson's Mach Da Vinci and KerryAnn Morris' Petes Said So, who ran eighth in the Inter Dominion Final at Albion Park earlier this month.

Morris' other entry, Kanena Provlima, was also a finalist in the Inter Dominion - finishing seventh - and has drawn barrier four for the Bathurst feature.

Belinda McCarthy's Alta Orlando brings a wealth of experience to the field, having generated a lifetime stakes of $1.1 million which included a third place in both the 2021 Inter Dominion final and 2020 Miracle Mile.

Jason Grimson's Cya Art is fresh off a second place at the Young Cup at the start of the month, his first ever run on Australia soil, where he started as $1.75 favourite.

Brad Hewitt's Taipo was also a starter in the Young feature and ultimately finished fourth.

With it being his son's final meeting at Bathurst before heading to Queensland, Hewitt said it would be great if they could both taste success in the Shirley Turnbull Memorial.

"They're keen to go up there, to give it a crack in Queensland," he said.

"Obviously you don't know until you try these things. My daughter Gemma is up there already.

"There's more opportunities to race horses up there and there's a lot more meetings closer. It should be good for him."

Shirley Turnbull, the wife of the late Tony 'AD' Turnbull, was the matriarch of the legendary harness racing family.

Amanda Turnbull, the granddaughter of the race's name-sake drove Smooth Baht in last year's memorial.

The victory came 15 years after winning the feature for the first time with Gold Claim.

Tuesday meeting will feature nice races, starting at 6.19pm.

The Shirley Turnbull Memorial will start at 8.18pm.