Amanda Turnbull and Just Cala flash home to take out Sunday's 3YO fillies Breeders Crown Final.
Since settling into her new digs at Shepparton, rising-star reinswoman Amanda Turnbull has notched two Group 1 wins at Tabcorp Park Melton in just a couple of months.
The 24-year-old followed up a Vicbred Super Series win last month with a Breeders Crown triumph yesterday, steering Just Cala to a 1.2-metre win in the Bettors Delight @ Woodlands Breeders Crown Final for three-year-old fillies.
Turnbull, who grew up driving hundreds of winners a season while based in Bathurst, would have especially enjoyed that yesterday’s winner was trained by a New South Wales country horseman in Dennis Picker.
“It’s all going really well,” Turnbull said of her transition to Victoria.
“We’re going to wait until next season before we get some more (horses) in but we’re going on a holiday to Hamilton Island first and then when we come back it’ll be all go.”
Just Cala, a filly by the indomitable Art Major out of a Kiwi mare named Lilsistar, found the front yesterday from barrier one, showing far more speed off the arm than she had in her previous two starts.
“I thought Spicy Stride would cross me before the race but once I was able to hold her out I was lucky enough to be able to be in front, which worked out really well,” Turnbull said.
Turnbull handed up to the challenge of Nike Franco, who was set alight from the rear of the field early, grabbing the spot behind the Luke McCarthy-driven race favourite.
As the field headed towards the home turn McCarthy was starting to ask Nike Franco for more and Turnbull had to decide whether to wait for the sprint lane or ease across the heels of the leader and death-seat horse Quick Draft to make her run wide.
She took the latter option, which in turn allowed Tasmanian filly Barynya to storm through on the inside after a three-back-the-pegs trail.
“Luke was asking for his filly to show a bit more while Chris (Alford) was sitting quietly on his,” Turnbull said.
“I was travelling really well at that stage so I decided to go to the outside of them.
“She let down like she has the first two times I’d driven her.
“It was a great feeling to win it.”
Turnbull has already driven 1041 winners in just seven seasons in the sulky, a remarkable achievement for someone so young.
