A winning sequence from Turnitaround has already broken new ground for trainer Matthew Williams and the Warrnambool horseman hopes it gets even better at Moonee Valley.
Turnitaround’s last-start victory over 1800m at Sandown was the gelding’s fourth in a row, which Williams said was a first for a horse from his stable.
“I think three in a row might have been the most we’ve had before so four was the record, and I’m hoping it can be five on Saturday,” Williams said.
Turnitaround is entered for the 2040m handicap with apprentice Ben Thompson to ride the five-year-old for the third-straight time having won on him at Flemington and Sandown.
Thompson’s 3kg claim will be important for Turnitaround who is topweight with 60kg among the 18 nominations which include the Darren Weir-trained Raw Impulse who has 55kg.
After a Geelong placing first-up, Turnitaround began his winning run at Flemington on April 25.
He added a convincing victory at Warrnambool last month before two more city wins in Melbourne.
“He probably has exceeded expectations a bit this preparation but he’s always shown good ability,” Williams said.
Williams and Turnitaround’s owners considered sending him to Queensland for races such as the Caloundra Cup but decided against the idea.
“We just thought a lot of things can go wrong when you go interstate and race the other way and that sort of thing,” Williams said.
“We felt we’d go to the Sandown race and then to Moonee Valley and then we’ll probably give him a month off.”
The intention is to then look to the latter part of the spring with a Listed 1800m race on Melbourne Cup day a likely second-up target after the Seymour Cup.
The Ballarat Cup in November is also on the radar.
Williams said Turnitaround was a happy horse and he could not fault him.
“He’s rock-hard fit so we haven’t had to do a lot with him at home,” he said.
“We’ve just kept him at the beach and the sand dunes.”
Williams also plans to give Turnitaround a bit of schooling on Thursday.
“He’ll go there on Saturday a very fit horse again,” he said.
