Turpin, McMullen and Trump Bloodstock building smart team of young trotters

By Jordan Gerrans 

The team behind promising young trotter Venus Love is set to take a conservative approach with the filly as a slight injury has forced her out of a Group 1 event at Menangle on Saturday night.

Prepared by the strong Queensland team of Chantal Turpin and Pete McMullen, the daughter of Centurion Atm put in a smart effort in Prelude of the Haras des Trotteurs 2Y0 Mixed Sex Trot earlier this month.

In just her third race start – and while still a maiden trotter – Venus Love was only beaten a short margin by hot favourite The Locomotive.

She had drawn seven for the $50,000 Final over 2300 metres in Sydney but the fillies ownership group – led by head of Trump Bloodstock Anthony Perkins – has opted to take her out of the Group 1.

The team has big plans for the emerging filly and will take a long-term approach with her.

“She has a tendon tear, so she will be out for a couple of months,” Perkins confirmed.

“It is not a huge injury but you don’t want to risk doing the damage.

“It is shame because I thought she would have won the race on Saturday night.

“She should have won the heat the other day.

“She probably could have gone around in the Final but she is that good and I did not want to risk it.”

After David Morris drove the young trotter in the Prelude, trainer Turpin was booked to take the seat in the Final, before the decision was made to spell her.

Venus Love and The Locomotive put a massive gap on the rest of the field in the Prelude.

Speaking to leading broadcaster Chris Barsby on radio the day after the Prelude, Turpin admitted to being a tad shocked about how well the filly performed, but declared McMullen and her have always had a strong opinion of the youngster.

“She surprised me a little bit but we do like her,” Turpin said.

“We think she has got pretty good ability.”

As well as missing the Haras des Trotteurs Final at Menangle this week, Venus Love is also likely to be away from the track for the TRIAD series in Queensland in October, as well as the Breeders Crown in Victoria at the end of November.

There is hope she could return for the Vicbred races at the end of December.

Venus Love is one of the standardbred’s that came from Racing Queensland and breeders Haras des Trotteurs’ scheme towards stimulating harness participants to breed trotters in the Sunshine State.

Venus Love is not the only promising trotter that the Turpin, McMullen and Trump Bloodstock team has in its plans.

Keneturio put a big margin on the small field in the opening event at Albion Park on Tuesday afternoon, which was the fillies second victory from just four starts.

Like Venus Love, Perkins also has high hopes for Keneturio.

“I would not mind to have a crack at the Vicbred but I will have a chat to Pete and Chantal at some stage and see what they think,” Perkins said.

Turpin and McMullen have put plenty of time and effort into their baby trotters of late and are now reaping the rewards, with the trainer noting they have several promising youngsters in their stable.

Razzleme Dazzleme is another who has shown great potential, winning two of his four trips to the races in the early stages of his career. 

“We do have a few and they all have their strengths,” Turpin said.

“We will see how we go.

“Some of them go faster than our pacers but it is quite good.

“We took the plunge a few years ago and really invested into the trotters and it seems to have paid off this season.”