Can the Great Survivor Hit the $NZ1m in stakes at Redcliffe ?

As part owner,Lee Pilcher, watches his former  star pacer ,Turn It Up, try to  break the $1m stakes barrier in the Redcliffe Cup on Saturday night,he may  well  reflect on timely birthday gifts and the  varied fortunes of racing horses.

The eight year old,leased to  Queensland in 2020 in the hope a swimming regime and easier company could help extend an outstanding New Zealand career, has now won more money in Australia then he did here. And here was a considerable $418,000 from just 15 starts, 11 of them wins including three Group 1’s,the 2019 Auckland Cup and a 2020 Easter Cup and the Harness Jewels 4yo title-his last race in New Zealand.

Turn It Up was actually an Australian product anyway bought by Lee’s late brother,Neil, and Mark in the sale ring there. He was by Courage Under Fire-a special favourite of “Pilch”  for many  good reasons- and the pair were hoping to score another Smolda,similarly bred and one of the All Star true greats in a vintage all stars era.

An added attraction was that he was from an American mare, a combination very successful for the Purdon stable over the years. Neil raced the youngster with a long standing friend,Jimmy Gibbs, for its first three starts, a debut win at Addington in March 2018; a second to stablemate,Zion Bromac,co-owned by Neil and driven by Nathan, in an Addington stable trifecta; and a second win in April before Neil sadly passed.

 

Mark and Jim Gibbs then bought out Neil’s share from family,Natalie and Anne Gibbs joining.Mark and Natalie then gifted Lee a 5 per cent share for his support of the stable and in memory of his brother.

“I thought that was great as it was.Then one day coming home from the races Mark said the horse was turning out much better than he originally thought and he was going to change his programme aiming higher. When  Natalie  told me they thought he was really good I got more excited.Really good was near the top assessment on how they rated horses”

The spring and summer of 2018 was even more exciting.After 2 lead up wins-one a First Five home for the stable-Turn it Up won on Cup Day and then Mark announced he would run in the NZ Free for All on Show Day at just his 7th start.

He ran second to Cruz Bromac,followed by a win in the Franklin Cup and then won the Auckland Cup at his 9th start,a modern day record,perhaps an all time record.He then won the Waikato Flying Mile; the Easter Cup (beating AG’s White Sox and Thefixer)  and the Harness Jewels with 2nds in the Taylor Mile and Messenger to Spankem in the interim.

“I remember when we were up in Auckland Natalie asked Mark if he thought he could win the Auckland Cup. Usually that meant an answer involving luck in the running and that sort of thing  but Mark just said “Yes”.Even Nat was impressed with that.I was very impressed”

But there were clouds on the horizon.

Turn it Up’s compressed career was somewhat influenced by concerns about his soundness especially in the knee area. After the Harness Jewels Mark was worried enough to send him  north for further veterinary attention.

“He had had a few problems. That process as I understood it was scraping the knees and it has proven successful for quite a few top horses. All went well until one morning  I saw Turn It Up being inspected at the stables and it was not great news” recalled Lee, who is still based on the Rolleston property.

“The upshot was he needed swimming for a lot of his exercise and hard racing was going to take its toll .Mark and Natalie didn’t have the swimming option and the free for all racing in Queensland was  going to be easier option for him. So we leased him to Natalie’s sister,Vicki.She had access to a water facility” Lee said

Turn It Up made his Queensland  debut in October for Vicki-who has now retired from training-and her former partner Shane Graham,who has handled him in nearly all his starts. He ran fourth in the Black’s a Fake at his 4th start but after a slightly disappointing trip interstate for the Newcastle Mile he has been raced mainly at Albion Park.

There he has won no less than 18 open class races which Lee thinks may be a record for the track.The most recent was on April 27. Turn it Up was re-leased to Vicki at the expiry of the first term and races on a 50 per cent split with his owners. His earnings now stand at just over $984,000 so it has bee profitable for both parties.

None of the Australian wins have been at Group level but that was the whole idea and Shane has done an outstanding maintenance job over a long period.Turn It Up has fought feet and arthritis issues and Shane has had to prepare him accordingly. The horse’s lengthy career is a credit to him.But Shane has said he would still love to win a Group race with him.

Turn It up was beaten at his most recent start but by the rising star Cantfindabettorman and the absence of Swayzee and Leap To Fame after the handicaps were adjusted make things easier in the $A100,000 Redcliffe Cup, a race Turn it Up was placed fourth in two years ago.

Can this amazing veteran win a Group race again  and top the million ? Well, he is probably out of his comfort zone and age and its problems have a habit of catching up. But on what he has done against the odds so far, who could say no ?