BATHURST'S Our Uncle Sam and Atomic Red both featured towards the front of Saturday night's Inter Dominion Pacing Championship Consolation (2,200 metres) at Auckland but when the heat was on they couldn't stay in touch.
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Chris Frisby's Our Uncle Sam plus Steve Turnbull's pair of Atomic Red and Conviction are on their way back to Bathurst after a tough run of results in the New Zealand series.
Coviction finished the best of the Bathurst crew to run home sixth in the consolation, while Our Uncle Sam cost himself several positions by breaking inside the final 50m and ran seventh.
Atomic Red dropped out of the hunt midway down the straight and had to settle for ninth.
Things looked up for Anthony Frisby on Our Uncle Sam when he was able to cross Check In early in the race and take control.
Turnbull was able to settle in the death after trailing Frisby on the opening turn.
Atomic Red had to give up that spot when Star Galleria headed a three-wide collective of runners ready to make a move.
Classie Brigade gave Star Galleria little time to enjoy the death seat, racing up alongside Our Uncle Sam as the field made their way onto the back straight for the final time.
Another Masterpiece sat three wide without cover ready to make a move on the home straight.
Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen's Another Masterpiece stole the show with the nature of his victory.
The favourite's winning hopes looked to be torn up within seconds of the race starting after he galloped and dropped out the back of the field.
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He fought his way back into the race, trailing up three wide, before timing his run home to perfection to run down Classie Brigade in an unlikely victory.
Conviction raced home well under the guidance of Tony Herilhy, gunning down the outside of the field for sixth.
Had Our Uncle Sam held his stride for just a few more metres he may have even held on for fifth, while Atomic Red was shuffled out the back.
The $500,000 Inter Dominion Pacing Championship was also taken out by the race favourite, Ultimate Sniper, in a thrilling win for the Purdon-Rasmussen operation.
Meanwhile, there were better times for the Turnbull stable back on Australian soil in Saturday's Menangle meeting.
Steve Turnbull took out the Evolution Series Final with Smooth Baht, driven by son Mitch, while Nathan Turnbull's Power Of Red scored an upset victory earlier in the night.
Several of the Bathurst runners are certain to feature in Boxing Day's Shirley Turnbull Memorial, which often brings together a quality field of runners.