Aiming for an Australian first

ALREADY a member of one of harness racing’s most prominent families, Amanda Turnbull has the opportunity earn the clan an Australian first at Club Menangle on Saturday night.

With children often following a parent into the industry, it is nothing out of the ordinary to see a father or mother as well as one of their kids on an honour roll.

In most cases the noteworthy victory is the result of a parent training and the offspring driving the winner.

In fact, every state’s biggest event has two generations on the honour rolls be it Bob and Vin Knight as father and son or John and Luke McCarthy as trainer and driver of their own winners.

As for a third generational winner, only two families have managed the feat of winning a state’s premier race, with just one achieving the milestone via separate means.

An institution in South Australia, the Sugars have three generations listed on the Pacing Cup honour roll.

Elder statesman Len trained Murdock Miss to win the 1981 Cup with his son Ross holding the reins.

Greg joined his ‘old man’ and grandfather by partnering Smoken Up to glory in 2012.

Greg was also triumphant with Flaming Flutter in 2016.

Across Bass Strait, the Rattrays have three generations on the Tasmanian Pacing Championship honour roll with each winning as an individual.

Wayne laid the foundation by scoring with Napoleon Stone in 1986 before his son, Barrie, held the trophy aloft thanks to Karalta Bay’s success in 1989.

Barrie is a three-time winner having secured the feature with Karalta Jet in 1993 and Prodigious in 2001.

Barrie’s son, Gareth, then partnered Motu Crusader to glory in 2013.

As for Turnbull, she is aiming to join her legendary grandfather Tony and father Steve on the Miracle Mile’s honour roll.

If she achieves the feat, what will set the Turnbulls aside from the Sugars and Rattrays is they will have all trained and driven their Miracle Mile winners.

Also, the Miracle Mile carries Grand Circuit status.

Tony was in charge of Hondo Grattan when he won in 1974, while Steve was behind Smooth Satin’s 2001 glory.

Although the Sugars’ wins were at Grand Circuit level, Murdoch Miss is a shared triumph, while the TPC had been dropped from the Grand Circuit before Gareth’s success.

Turnbull will be represented by Bundoran, which gained a berth in the $1million Garrards-sponsored sprint by finishing second in one of last weekend’s qualifiers.

Bundoran was only beaten a half-head by Miracle Mile favourite King Of Swing in 1:47.9.

To Turnbull’s dismay, Bundoran has drawn awkwardly in barrier four, which has TAB Fixed Odds listing him the gelding a $34 outsider.