turnbull

Harold Park Function Centre | Miracle Mile | Menangle Markets

HAROLD PARK LEGENDS

A.D. TURNBULL
Born at Bathurst on January 21, 1930, Tony Turnbull learnt most of his skills from his father, William (George), and his uncle, Albert Turnbull, who was better known as 'Captain' Turnbull.

Tony scored his first win as a driver on the mare Knock Out at the Katoomba Showgrounds in 1947 at the tender age of 17. The following year, 1948, he landed his first metropolitan win behind Walla Charm at Harold Park in the day trot era.

A household name in his home town area of Bathurst, he is not only synonymous with Harness Racing, but also with Hondo Grattan – the 'Bathurst Bulldog' – the 1970s champion Tony Turnbull trained-and-drove to victory in two successive Inter Dominion Finals (Harold Park 1973, and Gloucester Park 1974), and the 1974 Miracle Mile.

The first driver in Australia to steer home 2000 winners – he passed that figure in May 1987 and is approaching the 3000 mark – Tony Turnbull has been a wonderful ambassador for Harness Racing.

In March 1988, he became the second Harness Racing participant to be inducted into the NSW Hall Of Champions in the State Sports Centre at Homebush, following the late Perc Hall in joining Australian sportsmen and women such as Sir Donald Bradman, Richie Benaud, Clive Churchill, Johnny Raper, George Moore, Dawn Fraser, Shane Gould, Betty Cuthbert, John Newcombe and other prominent sporting stars.

His inclusion in this select category was not only a great honour for Turnbull, but also the Harness Racing industry.

A year later, 1989, at the age of 60, he was selected to represent Australia against the best reinsmen from America, Canada, Europe and New Zealand in the World Driving Championship in Canada.

Further honours followed in June 1990, when he was awarded an Order Of Australia (OAM) in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services and contribution to Harness Racing.

In 1990, he was also the recipient of the NSW Media Guild Appreciation Award, and was the Bathurst Gold Crown Honouree in 1994.

In October 1998, Tony Turnbull was the recipient of the New South Wales Harness Racing Authority's inaugural Living Legend Award for his services and contribution to the industry.

These days Tony averages at least 50 winners a year, but at the height of his career he won the NSW Drivers' Premiership a record 13 times in succession (from 1976 to 1988) and topped a century of winners on 11 occasions, with 160 1/2 winners in 1986-87 being his personal best.

He has also been a leading trainer and driver at his home track at Bathurst for more than three decades.