Top 5 Turnbull Stakes Winners

The Turnbull Stakes (2000m) is always one of the key lead ups to the Melbourne spring majors and has been won by some champion gallopers over the years. See who made our list of top 5 Turnbull Stakes winners since 2000.

In modern times, the feature race has been taken out by some outstanding gallopers.

1. WINX (2017/18)

As with any major race she was involved in, Chris Waller’s champion mare is the obvious selection for top spot when it comes to Turnbull Stakes winners since 2000m. She used the Turnbull as her final lead up run towards the Cox Plate in 2017 and 2018. Her triumph in the 2018 edition was particularly notable, overcoming trouble in the straight to barge out and storm home to victory. She would retire with 37 wins from 43 starts and is best known for her streak of 33 wins as she matured into the champion that we remember her for.

2. MAKYBE DIVA (2005)

Maybe Diva is better known for her exploits in the Melbourne Cup (3200m), winning the race that stops the nation on three occasions, a record that is unlikely to be broken. The champion that became a legend also became more than just a stayer in the spring of 2005, claiming the Memsie Stakes (1400m), Turnbull Stakes (2000m) and Cox Plate (2040m) en route to her third win in the big one. She retired as the highest stakes earner in Australia’s racing history and is also well known for her association with Glen Boss but it was Steven King that rode her in the Memsie in 2005.

3. NORTHERLY (2002)

The fighting tiger’ is one of the most popular gallopers in Australia since the year 2000 and ended the reign of the Kiwi champion, Sunline, in a thrilling Cox Plate in 2001 before going on to make it two in a row in 2002, backing up a week after winning the Caulfield Cup (2400m) with 58kg. He claimed the Makybe Diva Stakes when it was known as the Craiglee Stakes in 2002 and then knocked over Dash For Cash in a stirring edition of the Turnbull Stakes before his triumphs in the majors.

4. SUNLINE (2001)

One of the best ever to come out of New Zealand, Sunline had an extraordinary record, winning 32 of 48 career starts. The Trevor and Stephen McKee-trained mare would often settle in the lead before upping the ante at the business end, breaking those that would assume the chasing role. She was a two time winner of the Cox Plate (2040m), Doncaster Mile (1600m), Coolmore Classic (1500m), Waikato Sprint (1400m), Memsie Stakes (1400m) and the All Aged Stakes (1400m) while she took out a stirring edition of the Hong Kong Mile (1600m) in the year 2000. She used the Turnbull as her final lead in towards winning a third Cox Plate, but couldn’t accomplish that feat, beaten by Northerly in one of the best ever editions of Australia’s weight-for-age championship.

5. EFFICIENT (2009) and ZIPPING (2010)

Splitting these two stablemates is just too hard for mine so I am sitting on the fence and sneaking both into the top five. Efficient won better races with the Melbourne Cup (3200m) the obvious standout but Zipping was around for what felt forever and won the Sandown Classic (2400m) on four occasions, the last of those was when it had been named after him, the Zipping Classic, as it stands today.

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