One of the best two-year-olds I’ve trained

THE Bathurst Gold Crown is a race that trainers right across Australasia yearn to win.

But for the locals it is a burning desire to have horses capable of competing in the Group 1 feature in the hope that they can take the Crown in front of their hometown crowd.

There have been a few of the Bathurst trainers who have achieved the feat and others that have gone close to winning.

The locals are well represented again tomorrow night with 33 Western District trained juveniles competing throughout the seven qualifying heats.

The Lagoon-based horseman, Nathan Turnbull has two-year-old Better Be The Best contesting the second heat and despite the colt drawing poorly in gate eight, he is confident that with a bit of luck on his side the son of Shoobees Place can make his way through to the $110,000 Final on March 25.

“He is without a doubt one of the best two year olds I have trained,” said Turnbull.

“It was just by chance that his owner Chris Buttigieg contacted me to have a look at him at last year’s Bathurst Yearling Sales.

“He was a such a nice type, one that looked like he would get up and run so Chris bought him and then asked me if I wanted to train him, which was great.

“I was disappointed that he drew so wide in his heat, and it makes our task pretty tough.

“That said, I think our main danger is the Sapling Stakes winner Rippin Rupert, and he has drawn gate nine, so that does even things up.

“I am undecided on what I will do at the start.

“My initial thoughts are to go forward but I will just have to play it by ear and see what happens.

“It would be awesome if things go in our favour, and we do make the final.

“The closest I have come to winning the Crown was in 2015 when Sams The Master ran a close third.”

Turnbull is making a rare trip to Penrith tonight where he will drive in five of the seven races.

“I usually concentrate on racing within the Western District, Young and Canberra but with the Crown on, racing is limited to Bathurst, so I am heading down to Penrith tonight,” he said.

“My best winning chance is Feeling Hall Good in Race 2.”

• MICK DUMESNY