The Turnbull family have a strong hold on today’s harness racing feature at Blayney’s Carnival of Cups meeting.
With five of the nine runners in the Billy Soo Memorial Blayney Cup (2400m), it is the Amanda Turnbull-trained Parramatta that holds the strongest change going by TAB Fixed Odds.
The $2.40 fancy is unbeaten in his two Australian starts and Turnbull has been impressed with the gelding.
“His two starts have been really good,” the leading reinswoman said.
“He has drawn well in both his starts but is drawn a little wider in barrier five for this race and will have to do a bit more work early.”
Parramatta took out the time-honoured P.J. Hall Memorial at Penrith last Thursday week following a tactical front-running drive by Turnbull.
The 26-year-old is opting to drive Parramatta again while engaging the talents of concession reinsman Brendan Barnes on her other pacer Chumlee.
Drawn inside the second row in barrier seven, Chumlee is the second elect at $3.20 having won three of his last four starts.
“He is racing really well at the moment,” Turnbull said.
“It isn’t the best draw for him but with the race being over the longer distance he has plenty of time to try and get away from the pegs.”
It will be the first time Barnes drives the gelding and it is the only drive the Sydney-based reinsman has on the card.
“We left it up to the owners to decide who they wanted to drive their horse and because Brendan has driven for them before they put him on,” Turnbull said.
“I told him there was no pressure to drive the horse considering he had no other drives on the day and Blayney is a long trip but he was keen.
“He has been driving very well so happy it has worked out as it has.”
Turnbull’s father Steve Turnbull is also dually represented in the feature with his pacers Casino Tommy (three) and War Dan Apollo (six).
However, he too believes the favourite will be hard to go past.
“Amanda’s horse has been racing very well and looks the one to beat,” the recently crowned Harness Racing New South Wales Living Legend said.
“War Dan Apollo keeps getting the job done and racing well against good horses while Casino Tommy is a funny horse, the tougher he does it the better he goes.”
Meanwhile the fifth Turnbull runner is the Nathan Turnbull-trained Zodiac Dream.
Drawn in barrier two, the gelding led throughout to win at Blayney last weekend over the 2000m and is currently a $10 chance.
Bathurst pacer Beetson also won at Blayney last Sunday and is the only other horse in single figure odds at $3.50.
AMANDA RANDO | MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
