NSW youngster chalks up 300 winners

Twenty-five-year-old harness racing driver Isobel Ross spent her early days growing up in Queensland, but her life in New South Wales is suiting her just fine.

“I’m thoroughly enjoying it here in Bathurst. I’ve been working for Amanda (Turnbull) for nearly four years, and I feel I’m a little blessed,” she said.

Ross, who has always shown exceptional ability in the sulky, recently reached a personal milestone of 300 winners when she landed Saint Veran (Betting Line) for Amanda’s father, champion local horseman Steve.

“All of the Turnbulls work their horses on the same track out at The Lagoon, which isn’t far out of town. I guess I sort of clicked with Amanda from the first day I began working for her,” Ross said.

“We work out things together as a team. And when it comes to race driving, Amanda certainly looks after me—she doesn’t hesitate to put me on the good ones which is nice.”

Ross has certainly repaid the confidence of her ‘boss’. Three of her four Group Three victories have been for Amanda.

“I won at my first-ever drive for her when Eye See Diamonds scored at Menangle so that was pretty exciting,” she said.

That was in December of 2018 and the daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven captured the Garrards Teeny Teeny Stakes (G3).

Ross grew up around Brisbane and while her family didn’t have a harness racing background, there was a connection.

“Both my grandfather Don and dad Donny are part of the ‘redcoat brigade’— they work at a number of tracks as clerks of the course,” she said.

(Don, in his late 80s, is rated as the best ‘catcher’ in Australia.  He has been doing it for over 36 years – and apart from Donny, there’s also his son Donald, making it three generations.)

“I got involved in the mini trots and did that for five or six years. Then I spent time with several harness racing stables in Queensland which provided an excellent grounding.

“Chantal and Tony Turpin were the first to give me a start. Then I spent time with Bart Cockburn, Jack and Tara Butler and Grant Dixon. I was very lucky in that I lived on the properties.”

Prior to shifting to NSW, Ross showed fine touch to land Red Charmer (Mr Feelgood) in the Three-Year-Old Oaks (G3) at Albion Park for Dixon.

Among her wins since have been two Red Ochre Fillies and Mares Classic events (G3) at Dubbo—the first in 2020 with Gotta Party Doll (Gotta Go Cullect) and then again last year with Sweet Heaven (Sweet Lou), both trained by Amanda Turnbull.

Ross, who enjoyed her best season in 2017/18 with 69 wins for nearly $500,000 in stakes, is prepared to travel far and wide in search of winners.

“I get a fair few drives at Bathurst, but then there’s meetings at Parkes, Dubbo, Young and some others that I get too. We also travel to Menangle a bit,” she said.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink