Turnbull's dead heat and family connection makes for a memorable evening

The harness racing driver made her way to Dubbo for the annual Show meeting on Friday night and left amazed at what had just unfolded.

Driving Fay's Delight for her mother Wendy, Turnbull managed to pull off a remarkable drive to finish in a dead heat with Cala Greca in the Remembering Jack Shanks Pace (1720m).

Not only is Cala Greca also trained by Wendy Turnbull, but Fay's Delight was owned by the late Jack Shanks, a former president of the Dubbo Harness Racing Club and Show Society.

Dead heats are rare enough as it is and Emma Turnbull said it's a race she is proud to have featured in.

"It was a pretty special race to win, Jack and the Shanks family have had horses in our stable for quite a while now," she said.

"To win his race was special and we had a dead heat with another of Mum's horses as well. It was like a fairy tale really."

Shanks died in March 2024 at age 99 at his home in Dubbo, he and Turnbull had struck up quite a friendship over his years involved in harness racing, something she reflects on fondly.

"We were close and used to speak to each other on the phone a bit if we didn't see each other at the trots," she said.

"He always had a good story to tell, he could tell you about anything really."

Cala Greca led for most of the race which was run in wet conditions before Fay's Delight made a final push around the outside for a shot and the win.

"You probably couldn't write a book about it," Turnbull said.

"I had no idea and Jason (Turnbull) didn't really have much idea who had won."

Earlier in the night, Dubbo trainer Michael Carroll picked up a pair of wins with Art of Terror and Borrowed Time while Greg Lew also had a win.

Rising star driver Jett Turnbull also picked up his 100th career win on Borrowed Time, at just 16 years old.