THE Lagoon’s Amanda Turnbull has started a new season of racing on the front hoof by taking out both of Wednesday night’s Club Menangle Country Series Heats at Bathurst Paceway.
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Aintnobettor ($1.70) managed to salute in the opening heat after working forward early before Executive Dash ($1.20) got up in the next event after leading the whole way.
Victory didn’t come easy for Aintnobettor in the first Bathurst race of the season.
Turnbull worked her gelding to the front after starting on the back row and had to hold off late challenges on either side from Walk On Kimmy ($6.60, Emma Turnbull) and Grosestar ($5.50, Mitch Turnbull).
Wednesday’s result ended an exhausting run of four straight runner-up finishes for Aintnobettor.
“I didn’t know if knew how to win one,” Turnbull said.
“He got himself into that race and he knew what he was doing.
“He got to the front and I was happy to sit in the death because he tends to concentrate better there.
“It’s a good result because we changed his work a lot. He’s lazy in absolutely everything he does. We’re trying to do things a different way and it’s starting to work.”
The field did their share of shuffling around when the race began.
Layby Lanny showed gate speed to briefly hold the lead.
Grosestar, who had began directly behind Layby Lanny, tracked forward to take up the running.
Aintnobettor found plenty of fresh air in mid field and that allowed Turnbull to swing her gelding wide for a move forward on the turn.
The favourite got to the death seat at the bell but Turnbull wanted to dictate terms and decided to take control of the inside line ahead of Grosestar.
The moves kept on coming when Walk On Kimmy got to the death seat and went stride for stride with Aintnobettor on the turn for home.
Im Ok was well positioned to strike behind Walk On Kimmy and Grosestar was still travelling well behind the leader, seeking a sprint lane move.
David Hewitt’s Allstar Sea got into clear away with a three wide swing but the leading trio of Aintnobettor, Grosestar and Walk On Kimmy broke away from the field inside the last 150 metres.
Aintnobettor fought on to keep his neck in front of his rivals, winning in a mile rate of 1:58.0.
Walk On Kimmy beat out Grosestar for second in a photo finish 1.5m behind the winner.
In the next event Executive Dash needed to do far less work to get the win.
Turnbull barely moved a muscle in the closing stages, letting her gelding cruise to a 2.6m win over Arma Hotshot ($12.40, Neil Day).
Executive Dash made it back-to-back wins after saluting at Menangle last week.