Amanda's experince the key for Miracle Mile outsider

4 March 2023

EXPERIENCE might just be enough to give one of the outsiders in tonight’s $1m Garrards Miracle Mile a shot at glory in the straight.

And Hurricane Harley ($18 in early markets) might be the least-fancied of trainer Emma Stewart’s four runners tonight but she has one ace up her sleeve with the beautifully-bred son of Bettors Delight.
At just 33-year-of-age, Amanda Turnbull has a remarkable record at Menangle and a career strike-rate that makes her the envy of every driver in the race.
Already regarded as the best woman driver in this state, Turnbull has 2365 career winners to her name.
That includes 10 Group 1 wins and 14 successive years where she has landed at least 100 winners for the season.
Stewart knew who she wanted on Hurricane Harley when Mark Pitt (Captain Ravishing) and Nathan Jack (Mach Dan) were committed to two of her other runners in the race.
Yet Turnbull will actually be having her 11th drive on Hurricane Harley and her record on the seven-year-old is impressive.
She has won five races on him, although Kima Frenning drove him in his only Menangle win, the Paleface Adios Stakes three years ago.
“He deserves his spot: He’s a cool little horse and he seems to be getting better all the time,” said Turnbull after Hurricane Harley gained a late split to finish second to Spirit Of St Louis in last weekend’s Schweppes Sprint.
That second placing denied Bondi Lockdown an automatic spot in the big sprint as he was eventually made second emergency for the race.
“I’m really excited to be there,” she said.
“Spirit of St Louis has been getting out of the gate a lot better this preparation so he’ll probably have enough to hold us and a spot on his back might be the place to be.
“Louis was happy to hold the lead in the Hunter Cup over the longer distance.
“You’d think if he [Jack Callaghan] was happy to do that then he’d be content to try the same tactic again tonight.
“I’m not sure what everyone else is thinking but I’ll just have to drive my own race and see what happens.”
Turnbull acknowledges Honolua Bay is the horse to beat.
“His run last week, well, you just don’t see horses do that at Menangle and he looked as if he actually pricked his ears going over the line,” she said.