Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Fond memories will come flooding back at Gloucester Park on Friday night when teenager Jett Turnbull makes his West Australian debut as a reinsman as the driver of A Little Silence and Raklou.
Oldtimers will recall admiring the skill of Jett’s great grandfather Tony Turnbull as he drove the mighty Hondo Grattan to victory in the 1974 Interdominion championship final at Gloucester Park.
His grandfather Steve Turnbull was also a star reinsman who drove Smooth Satin to victory in the 2002 Inters final at Harold Park. The late and legendary Tony Turnbull was the first driver to land 2000 winners in Australia, and he retired with a record of 2878 wins and as the winner of the New South Wales drivers’ premiership eleven times.
Nathan Turnbull, Jett’s father, is the leading trainer in NSW this season. He has prepared 79 winners and holds a substantial lead over Jason Grimson (38 winners). He has a career record of training 982 winners as well as driving 820 winners.
Eighteen-year-old Jett Turnbull has shown outstanding ability in the sulky and is currently in second place with 75 winners, four behind Cameron Hart in the NSW drivers’ premiership table.
One day after his 16TH birthday Jett Turnbull was successful with his second drive in a race, coming from the rear to win with Faze Of Glory at Bathurst on July 19, 2023. At the age of 16 and nine months he became the youngest person in Australia to drive 100 winners.
He is in sparkling form, having driven seven winners this week, Tigernator, Midnight Crimes and Its Down To Digger in Canberra on Sunday, Memphis Fury at Menangle on Tuesday and Duffy Hollow, Wheres The Gold and Machzine Mahoney at Bathurst on Wednesday. His record now stands at 2156 drives for 491 wins and 516 placings.
He has bright prospects on Friday night with A Little Silence, a New Zealand-bred five-year-old prepared by master trainer Gary Hall Snr, who will begin from the No. 4 barrier in the 2130m RAC Members Save 5% Every Day at Retravision Pace.
A Little Silence raced twice in New Zealand as a two-year-old for two second placings and his four WA starts at Gloucester Park have resulted in two wins and two close seconds after beginning from unfavourable draws.
At his most recent appearance, over 2130m last Friday week he raced without cover early and then was shuffled back before surging home from sixth (three wide) at the bell to finish a half-length second to the pacemaker Hunger Strike, who rated 1.56.2 after final 400m sections of 28.4sec. and 29.3sec.
A Little Silence’s main rivals are likely to be High Price and Sweet Pins.
Seven-year-old High Price, to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko for trainer Garry Sayers, has a losing sequence of 13. But he drops significantly in class after starting at $151 and racing three back on the pegs before running home solidly and finishing fourth behind Magnificent Storm, Mighty Ronaldo and Franco Encore last Friday week.
Sweet Pins, a stablemate of A Little Silence, will be driven by Gary Hall Jnr from barrier six. He impressed last Friday night when he ran home determinedly from ninth at the bell to finish second to Heres Herbie, a quality performer who sprinted over the final 800m in 56.8sec.
Raklou, a five-year-old mare from the Hall camp, faces a stern test from barrier five in the $25,000 Retravision, Why Shop Anywhere Else Pace over 2130m. She will be at handsome odds in a field consisting of several top-flight mares.