Murwillumbah previews: Trainer Sally Turner hoping Mindspace can continue winning run

Mindspace is a big chance of claiming his fourth win in his past six starts after making the successful move to Coffs Harbour.

Trainer Sally Taylor and Mindspace will hunt another win on Sunday. Picture: Bradley Photos

Mindspace has been a revelation since joining Sally Taylor’s stable and the trainer puts it down to a couple of key changes ahead of his latest assignment at Murwillumbah on Sunday.

The son of So You Think started life with Mark Newnham before a stint in Wagga with Tim Donnelly but has taken to life on the coast at Coffs Harbour.

Mindspace hadn’t won for close to a year when he joined Taylor’s yard but has put together three wins in six starts since making the move north.

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“Everyone asks what I’ve done with him but I probably just put it down to doing something different with him,” Taylor said.

“He hardly ever goes on the track itself, we just keep him at the beach and slow days and things like that we take him for a trail ride or do some jumps with or in the area.

“We just keep him away from the track as much as possible.

“It seems to be working and while it’s working I will keep doing it.”

Mindspace will go in search of a fourth win in his past five starts when the gelding contests the Club Tweed Grafton Cup Preview Benchmark 82 (2020m).

It's the local Mindspace who bolts away to win by 5 lengths in the opener at Coffs Harbour. pic.twitter.com/hPUt0RsTBS

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 31, 2024

A dry track is Taylor’s only real concern of her gelding running well again after Mindspace lapped up the rain affected conditions last start to score at Coffs Harbor on a heavy 10.

“I think he is probably better on a soft 6 or 7 but in saying that it was a heavy 8 there last start, so surely it can’t be that hard,” Taylor said.

Taylor will go in search of a winning double on the card with Skyhawk also lining up.

Skyhawk was a $8,500 Inglis Digital purchase from stable client Mark Wilson and looks set to prove a shrewd buy.

The son of Air Force Blue is a good chance of paying of paying off the price tag in the Right Machinery Country Boosted Maiden Handicap (1200m).

“He had OK form and speaking to Anthony Cummings and some of his ex-owners, they always said he worked like a Group or city horse,” Taylor said.

“Mark thought maybe doing something different with him, to get that out on race day so he bought him.

“He is going well but he is probably in work at the wrong time of year because he doesn’t handle wet tracks.

“That’s why we scratched from Kempsey to go to Murwillumbah because it will be a good 4 and that will suit him down to the ground.”

Anthony Cummings (left) is the former trainer of Skyhawk. Picture: Jay Town-Racing Photos via Getty Images

Skyhawk ran home to finish midfield in his first start for Taylor’s yard in a race at Grafton before third over 1400m at Moree last time.

“He knocked up and wasn’t quite ready for 1400m second up,” Taylor said.

“He had 12 months off so that was fitness more than anything.

“Coming back in distance probably isn’t ideal but unfortunately there was only 1550m or a 1200m and he wasn’t quite ready for 1550m.

“Back in distance is probably the only negative but he only carries 54kg so he won’t know himself with that sort of weight.”

Mindspace and Skyhawk can add to what’s already been a career best season for Taylor.

She has a new best 18 winners for the campaign with a competitive winning strike rate just shy of 20%

“It’s the right horses but great staff as well,” Taylor said.

“Without great staff you can’t do all the things you need to do at the right time and I have a very good trackwork rider Hannah.

“We do many hours going back and forth to the beach, which we do put a lot of hours in to get the results.”

ORCHIDS CAN BLOOM BEFORE BREAK

Darren Graham is confident Odette’s Orchids will give him plenty to work with when she matures but the Murwillumbah trainer is hopeful she can deliver a maiden victory before then when she steps out on home turf this Sunday.

Odette’s Orchids will have her third career start in the Wright Machinery Country Boosted Maiden Handicap (1200m) in her final run before going for a spell.

The daughter of Kobayashi has shown promise in two starts to date at Murwillumbah, finishing a close third over 1010m earlier this month.

“She is a chance for sure,” Graham said.

“She has been going good and has trained on since her run the other day.

“We are going to send her for a spell after this run so we will give her a little break.

Odette’s Orchids is out of the mare Daneares, who won two races for Graham during her own racing career.

The lightly-raced filly is her latest foal to get to the races and has impressed Graham since joining his stable.

Jockey Luke Rolls will ride Odette’s Orchids. Picture: Bill North / The Daily Examiner

“She has done everything right, she is progressive and just needs to get her manners a little bit better,” Graham said.

“She is not a well behaved horse in the stable but she is getting better as she goes.

“Later on she is going to be a big mare.

“We are just trying to give her time now and just getting her fully educated.”

Stablemate Just Winston landed among the emergencies in the Murwillumbah Services Club Benchmark 58 Handicap (1550m) but is expected to get a start.

The son of Churchill has struggled on heavy tracks at his past two starts but is expected to relish drying conditions this weekend.

“I want to get him back on a dry track,” Graham said.

“The other day he was up in the lead and hit that wet patch on the point of the corner and dropped right out of it.

“He still made up some ground in the straight once he got out to the better going.

“The track is certainly going to be a Good 3 or 4 on Sunday so hopefully getting back on top of the ground will help him.

“He doesn’t like being inside horses so has drawn the right barrier (16) to get a nice run out there.”

Luke Rolls will pilot both Just Winston and Odette’s Orchids.

Originally published as Murwillumbah previews: Trainer Sally Turner hoping Mindspace can continue winning run