Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk 5 June 2026
Riverton trainer Ebony Turner is having a season to remember, and she is hoping her good run will continue at Phar Lap Raceway on Sunday.
In her fourth season of training, Turner currently sits on 11 wins this term, with Who Rox The House’s victory at Wingatui last weekend furthering her lead in the race towards the Gavelhouse Newcomer to Training Award.
“I am very grateful to all the people who support me and my staff, it has been an excellent season,” she said. “It is pretty nerve-racking coming to the end of it and there is only two wins between us. Hopefully I can stay on top and get that win, but if not, it has still been an awesome season, and I have beaten last season’s personal best.”
Turner was relieved to get the win with Who Rox The House and said stepping back in distance proved to be a masterstroke.
“It was brilliant, she has been so unlucky,” Turner said. “She has got plenty of ability but every time we stepped out at the races something went wrong.
“That last start over the mile at Riverton just showed that she isn’t handling 1600m on a wet track so we thought we would give her one more shot over 1400m at the nice track at Wingatui and she went out and won.”
Stablemate Penvose Lad was also runner-up at the meeting when first-up over 1400m, and he will be looking to go one better when he heads to Timaru on Sunday to contest the Dunstan Horsefeeds Waimate Cup (1600m).
“We were super chuffed with that (runner-up result), he is such a cool horse and he just brings everything on raceday,” Turner said. “He has a pretty exciting winter going forward.
“I worked him around on Tuesday morning to see how he felt before nominations and he jig jogged in after he pulled my arms out so I thought we would be alright to go.”
Turner said she is on a fact-finding mission with Penvose Lad this weekend, and if he performs well over the mile, she would love to target him towards the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton in August.
“We will see if he will handle the 1600m on the wet track and that will give us an idea of what we can do going forward into winter,” she said. “I really want to get him into the Winter Cup if I can.
“He is pretty tough and he is pretty consistent, so I am quite hopeful.”
Turner will also trek north to Timaru with last-start winner Celestial Flame, who will contest the Waimate Racing Club (1600m).
“She is a tough wee nugget to back up and win like that, she is a cool horse,” Turner said. “We just freshened her up and we will get a line on her this weekend heading into winter.”
