Nathan Turnbull is unsure how many more starts It’s A Shakedown will have under his training, but he’s enjoying the mare’s success while it lasts.
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The four-year-old came into his possession from the renowned Belinda McCarthy stable after just two starts and since calling Bathurst home she has scored two wins and two thirds.
“So she seems to be enjoying the country life,” Turnbull says.
The mare has a large group of owners and some of those have a base in Queensland and Turnbull said she may end up back there sometime in the future.
But he isn’t too worried about that, with the focus currently on the Marty Nelson Refrigeration & AC Pace (1720m) at Dubbo on Sunday.
Turnbull makes the trip to Dubbo Showground having won with the mare at Parkes last week.
“I was pretty lucky, she came to me ready to go,” Turnbull said.
“She raced at Penrith three days before she came to me so my job was half done, I just had to find the right races for her and races around Dubbo are a bit easier than Penrith.”
The 5.6m win at Parkes, according to Turnbull, was even easier than it appeared as he “didn’t even pull the ear plugs out”.
On Sunday she faces a bit of a test from gate six but the trainer-driver has little doubt she has what it takes to win race number three.
It’s A Shakedown has already won at Dubbo, scoring a victory back on August 28, and she came across from gate five that day.
“She’s got a bit of gate speed so hopefully she can whip across and get to the front and then we can play a bit of catch me if you can,” Turnbull said.
“When she won at Dubbo she drew out at five but got out well and got in front and she’s got a bit of respect now so they might let her go.”
Being in front is It’s A Shakedown’s bread and butter, with Turbull saying that’s how she does the bulk of her work back at home in training.
Turnbull has another chance in Sunday’s race, with Aaron Williams set to drive As Lowas They Come, who has scored two seconds and two thirds in his past four starts.
Thomas Ward’s Kempley Princess will also be in the running having won on debut at Dubbo on October 9 but Turnbull is relaxed about It’s A Shakedown’s chances and future.
“We’ll keep pushing on and she’s only just a four-year-old and she’s a big mare with plenty of growing left to do,” he said.
“So she’ll have a few more starts and then we’ll probably give her a nice long spell and let her grow up and who knows, maybe she’ll end up back at Queensland.”
Sunday’s meeting consists of six races with the first at 2.06pm while the last sets off at 5.04pm.