Here comes Bathurst

By Adam Hamilton

HALF of Bathurst is headed to the Auckland Inter Dominion.

Well that’s a slight exaggeration, but the country NSW town best known for its annual car race will certainly be punching above its weight at Alexandra Park with a probable five representatives in the series starting on November 29.

Steve Turnbull, already an Inter Dominion winner with Smooth Satin, has three of his stable stars booked on a flight to NZ next month.

“Conviction, Atomic Red and Courtsinsession are all on that flight at this stage,” Turnbull said. “Maybe they are a step below the very best ones, but I’m really happy with them all and they deserve a crack at it.”

Turnbull’s daughter, Amanda, is adding to the family raid with her classy pacer Ellmers Image making the trip across as well.

But it could be a non-Turnbull who represents Bathurst’s best hope in the series through Chris and Anthony Frisby’s Our Uncle Sam, runner-up to Tiger Tara in last year’s Melbourne Inter Dominion final.

Our Uncle Sam returned from a spell at Bathurst last night (Wednesday) and won’t race again before crossing the Tasman to chase the NZ Cup ahead of the Inter Dominion.

But Ellmers Image, Conviction, Atomic Red and Courtsinsession will only target Auckland.

“Conviction won well in quick time first-up at Eugowra and runs at Menangle Saturday night, while Atomic Red and Courtsinsession have come up really well,” Steve Turnbull said from Bathurst trots last night.

“Atomic Red would be the best of ours, but he has this condition where he’s been continually growing bone chips and needing them removed. About five months ago we were told he’d stabilised, so we’ve brought him back and he seems great through the trials.”

Amanda Turnbull said Ellmers Image would trial Monday.

“He won the consolation in last year’s Melbourne series and I think it was the making of him, he won some nice races really well afterwards,” she said. “After this trial, I’ll find a race for him then get him ready for the trip across,” she said.