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By Graeme White

It could be a shootout between feature race winning trainers in the last of the majors at the Grafton Cup carnival on Sunday.

The carnival concludes with the $34,000 Maclean Bowling Club Maclean Cup (1400m) and four of the main chances are prepared by trainers already with a feature race victory to their credit.

Topweight Bugalugs ($9.50 on TAB) is trained by John Shelton who won the Sir James Kirby on Thursday with Jule’s Spirit, while Michael Costa has had a carnival to remember courtesy of Purrfect Deal winning the Grafton Cup and prelude.

Costa also ran second in the Ramornie and will be represented in the Maclean Cup by favourite Getyourgreyon ($3.30).

Getyourgreyon has won two of his three starts since a spell before running eighth last time out at Ipswich.

Northern Knight ($4.60) took out the John Carlton Cup on June 27 at Grafton for trainer Brett Bellamy who will be striving to win a second feature with the same horse.

Rounding out the quartet is Bob Milligan who reigned supreme with Texas Storm ($4.60) in the South Grafton Cup and is back trying to complete the double.

Shelton said it was pleasing for country-based trainers and owners winning some of the feature races.

“I always cheer for the local boys because it is so hard to win races at the carnival against some of the bigger stables,” he said.

“This is our time of the year to have our horses peaking hoping they can win a race.”

It appears on form that one of the quartet will take home the Maclean Cup. The Costa stable has been in superb touch and no risks will be taken with Getyourgreyon who is rated on top from Northern Knight and Texas Storm.

As aforementioned, Bugalugs is a $9.50 chance and Shelton that was indicative of how strong the race is.

“It’s as good a field for the Maclean Cup as I have seen,” he suggested. “My horse is cherry ripe for his third start back from a freshen up.”

Shelton has won the Maclean Cup previously with Innocentassie and Cash Sinner in 2017 and is still on a high after the win by Jule’s Spirit.

“It was the first time I have won the Kirby and I have always wanted to win that race,” he said. “Bugalugs is in a tough race, but he is spot on.”

Shelton pointed out that Bugalugs excels at Grafton where he has raced nine times for four wins, three seconds and two thirds. The five-year-old is a past winner over 1400 metres at Grafton and has won at two of his five starts at the distance.

His trainers feels 1200 to 1300 metres is ideal for Bugalugs who has to carry 60.5kg with jockey Ben Looker aboard.

Meanwhile, it will be a survival of the fittest when the opening race is run over 3120 metres on a presently rated slow surface. The staying test is the longest race conducted at Grafton each year with a field of 10 to take part.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Grafton here