Latest News

One of racing’s great characters, Ken ‘Tubby’ Turner, has passed away aged 81. Turner’s partner Francis Rogers informed Racenet that Turner lost his battle with heart disease on Thursday last week.

He began his trainer career in Queensland before moving to Randwick then moved back to Queensland later in life and ran Alma Vale Stud.

'Tubby Turner' with Just Awesome

During his training career Turner put the polish on classy gallopers Lion Hunter and Just Awesome but it was the breeding industry where he left his great mark.

"Lion Hunter would have pulled a cart and beat Just Awesome," Turner told Max Presnell of Fairfax in 2002.

"Lion Hunter broke the track record of Chief De Beers around Doomben and you know how good Chief De Beers was at Doomben.”

Lion Hunter stood at Alma Vale Stud where Turner bred the likes of Star Witness and Nostradamus, both stakes-winning stallions out of Turner’s former top stakes-winning mare Leone Chiara, whose dam Chiara also produced stakes-winning brother and sister, Ferocity and Chinchilla Rose.

Turner is survived by his partner Francis Rogers and his six children, Anita, Kurt, Kristie, Michelle, Melissa and Shaun as well as three grandchildren.

The funeral service for Ken Tubby Turner will be held at 1pm next Monday 20 August at the Pinnaroo Cemetery, Bridgeman Downs, Qld.

- By Clinton Payne (Racenet)