Turn It Up Chasing Hat-Trick

Turn It Up may be considered a veteran at nine-years-old, however the gelding continues to be a model of consistency in the open ranks at The Creek.

This Saturday the Shane Graham trained gelding will be looking to make it a hat-trick of victories as he contests the Garrards Horse and Hound Open Pace.

Two starts back, Turn It Up claimed an effortless victory from the front when leading throughout to secure his 21^st Albion Park victory, adding to that with a win from the tapes at his most recent appearance.

Stepping cleanly and securing the one-by-one trail, Graham drove the nine-year-old patiently with a solid tempo in front, presenting at the top of the stretch and sprinting hard to claim a 34^th career victory and 22^nd at The Creek.

The win set a new track record for the 2138 standing start, the 1.55.0 rate carving 1.6 seconds off the previous record held by Tims A Trooper.

“He just keeps turning up, he is just a professional horse,” Graham said of his stable star.

“He could have had some hard runs along the way, but we have been able to manage him, and he doesn’t look like slowing down.”

The latest win took Turn It Up to $867,000 in stakes, with $402,000 of that won at The Creek, placing him 11^th on the all-time Albion Park earners list.

Graham was fascinated by this stat when shown earlier this week.

“That’s a cool stat, when you consider he has never won a Group race since he has been here.”

Having raced in open company the entire time that he has been in Queensland, it is a remarkable achievement.

Race 2 is the Jack and Kay Waltisbuhl Band 5 Pace, named to honour and remember the late husband and wife harness devotees and has drawn together a strong line up.

Aroda will be second up from a spell and draws favourably in gate one for trainer/driver Grant Dixon, with the flying Mossdale Terry drawn on his back in gate eight.

First-up, Aroda savaged the line to grab second to Mossdale Terry, running his last 400 in 26.9 in a flashing light performance.

Since that run, Mossdale Terry has gone on to claim a Saturday night victory in effortless fashion and Shane Graham will be hoping Dixon looks for an all the way victory with Aroda, allowing Mossdale Terry the last shot in the stretch.

Other hopes include Bangkok Deejay which was sectionally super last start, and Wisper A Secret draws awkwardly on the second line for Chantal Turpin.

Meanwhile, Group 1 winner Teddy Disco faces a tough ask first-up from a spell after drawing gate 7, with Jonah Hutchinson handed the reins on Shawn Grimsey’s talented five-year-old.

Race 1 is scheduled for 5.12pm.

BEST BETS

Chris Barsby: Madam Maggie – “banging down the door to win and I think she finds the right race. She was tough in defeat last week, she might have to do it the tough way again from this tricky draw, but I think she is up to the challenge.”

Darren Clayton: Aardies Flash- “Some versatility this guy, he is probably better off a helmet, but he can be in front early and whether he takes a trail or looks to take them all the way, either scenario can see him arrive.”