7 July 2017
PAUL MICALLEF
AT just 27 years of age, Bathurst reinswoman Amanda Turnbull is moving fast, really fast.
Not only is she a tearaway leader of the New South Wales State Drivers' Premiership with nearly 150 winners, she recently passed a milestone of more than 1500 career winners.
That makes this lightweight driver with the “Midas touch” already the fourth highest winningest female driver in Australia.
That’s quite an achievement as the three above her are Victoria’s Kerryn Manning on with 3677 wins, followed by Queensland’s Lola Weidemann (2875) and another Victorian in Jodi Quinlan (2018).
For the record the most successful all-time driver in this country is the “Puppet” – 49-year-old Chris Alford - who recently drove his 6000 winner.
Amanda has surpassed her living legend grandfather Tony Turnbull who retired with 1380 winners and is quickly closing in on her father, Steve's total of 2276 winners.
Steve these days takes a back seat in the driving department, supporting Amanda and her younger brother Mitch with the stable drives.
Which leads us to Sunday's meeting at Parkes where the Turnbull clan, as usual, will play a dominate role.
Amanda has four drives and in a major lead for punters she rates Written In Style in the last race as her best chance ahead of the unbeaten two-year-old Alex Pollizzi.
“He (Written In Style) is going pretty good. He’ll probably have to sit outside them but he had been doing that at Bathurst and not being beaten far,” Amanda said.
"Alex Pollizzi is only a baby. It's hard to line up the opposition in two-year-old races. Should she go alright I may run her in the Breeders Crown.”
Alex Pollizzi was impressive in winning her only start at Young after working for half a lap to lead and was unextended on the line.
“We bought her from the New Zealand Yearling Sales. She wasn’t paid up for anything (in NSW) so we just took out time with her. She is by leading sire Bettors Delight,” Amanda said.
Amanda didn’t know much about the Ty Robson-trained Bulgari Rose and believes her other drive Jet On Ice is going to struggle as he is up in class and has drawn wide.
As for Mitch, he should resume from an eight-week suspension and bounce back with a winner in Power Of Red.
Trained by his dad, Steve Turnbull, Power Of Red ran a huge race when third in the Group 1 Breeders Challenge Four-Year-Old Final at Menangle in 1:51.4 and looks a class above his rivals.