Trainer-breeder Ken “Tubby” Turner dies

A funeral service will be held for former leading Queensland and Sydney trainer Ken Turner in Brisbane.

Turner who was a major part of Australian racing as a trainer and breeder for more than 60 years died last week in a Sydney hospital aged 81 from heart disease.

Nicknamed “Tubby”, Turner began training in north Queensland before moving to Brisbane in the 1970s and then to Sydney where he trained at Randwick.

Turner later became a leading breeder in Queensland at the historic Alma Vale Stud on the Darling Downs.

As a trainer his best known horses were Lion Hunter, Just Awesome and Chinchilla Rose.

Lion Hunter once held the Doomben 1200m-record but is best known as a sire having produced a string of top horses including the Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Lovely Jubly and multiple Group One winner Gold Edition.

A funeral service for Turner will be held for the Pinnaroo Lawn Cemetery at Bridgeman Downs, in Brisbane’s north, at 1pm on Monday.