Racing: Oamaru race appeals

Philip (left) and David Butcher, past winners of the series for invited brother reinsmen at...
Philip (left) and David Butcher, past winners of the series for invited brother reinsmen at Oamaru. Photo by Tayler Strong.
Owner-trainer Bruce Graham favours a start in a penalty-free race on the grass at Oamaru on Saturday for Quality Invasion, an impressive winner at Addington on Friday.

Quality Invasion has also been nominated for Addington the previous day.

"I am thinking about the race for invited drivers at Oamaru but I will study the nominations for both venues in the morning," Graham said yesterday.

Quality Invasion led for most of the way to win over 2600m on Friday.

Two of his five wins have been on grass at Methven and he won a trial there on November 5 in 3.16.9 for 2400m.

The Oamaru club is planning to run up to five races for invited brother reinsmen. The penalty-free races will be restricted to 12 starters. Hamish and Peter Hunter have replaced Jim and Roddy Curtin. Jim Curtin will be in Sydney to drive Terror To Love in the Cordina Sprint.

The other invited drivers are Dexter and John Dunn; David and Philip Butcher; Nathan and Matthew Williamson; Gerard and Leo O'Reilly; and Ken and Clark Barron.

The Butchers have won the series the past two years.

• Phantom Grin, who finished further back than fifth only once in 14 starts as a 3yr-old last season, resumes in a penalty-free race at Invercargill on Saturday.

Phantom Grin, trained at Gore by part-owner Matt Brinsdon, was spelled for three months after his last start in May. He has had two workouts for a win at Gore on November 3 and a second to Caesar's Bracelet at Wyndham on Saturday.

Phantom Grin won at Forbury Park, Winton and Invercargill last season and recorded some meritorious minor placings. He ran fourth behind Ohoka Texas, Malak Uswaad and Poacher in the Supremacy Stakes Final at Invercargill and second to Ma Sish at Addington.

• Me Old Mate, a winner at Ashburton on Thursday, eight days after changing hands, has been entered for the Oamaru meeting.

The Christian Cullen-Exceptional Franco 4yr-old was bought by Greendale trainer Bruce Hutton and Steven Bunz, of Melbourne, out of the stable of Neil Hamilton.

Me Old Mate was resuming from a seven-month break. He was unplaced in two starts for Hamilton last season.

• Timeless Perfection has joined the Cobbitty stable of Luke McCarthy after being leased by Sam Trecasse, of Brisbane. Timeless Perfection won her last start at Ashburton on October 24 in 1.56.9 for the mile. She has won six of her 11 races from the Kaiapoi stable of Brendon Hill.

 

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