Barry Thomas, chairman of Christchurch Casino, is in the ownership of Altered Image, winner of the $250,000 Coupland's Bakeries Mile.
Christchurch Casino sponsor the New Zealand Cups at Addington and Riccarton and many other races. Ray Coupland, principal of Coupland Bakeries, is the owner with his partner, Jill Walls, of Coup Align, winner of the $100,000 Lindauer Stewards' Handicap.
Thomas, of Queenstown, is the former chairman of Skyline Enterprises, a 50% owner of Christchurch Casino.
Thomas bought into Altered Image after the horse won the Levin Classic as a 3yr-old in 2008.
"The first time the horse raced for me in the Mudgway Stakes at Hastings, he lost his rider and tore a tendon and I doubted he would race again," Thomas said.
Altered Image co-owned by Geoff Brown, Craig Lindberg, Paul Moroney and Andrew South, was away from racing for 13 months and regained winning form at Hastings on October 2 in his second start back.
He is co-trained by Andrew Clarken, who is in his first season training with Mike Moroney at Matamata.
Clarken was an assistant to Moroney for nine years in Melbourne.
Coup Align carried the biggest weight for a Stewards' Handicap winner for 34 years when he mastered 58.5kg yesterday.
He joined Clifton Prince (2005-2006) as a successive winner in the race during that period.
Show Gate won in 1973 and 1974.
Grey Way won the race under 60kg in 1976.
Coup Align arrived back at the Yaldhurst stable of Michael Pitman at 6am on Friday after a Victorian campaign.
He left Cranbourne at 5pm on Wednesday and travelled overnight by road to Sydney.
He flew to Auckland the next day and flew to Christchurch in the early hours of Friday.
"We have galloped him the last three days," Pitman said.
Pitman said he would follow the same programme as last year with Coup Align.
"He will have his next start at Waikouaiti on New Year's Day and go to the Telegraph Handicap. If the track at Trentham is wet, he will go to the Lightning Handicap in Melbourne," Pitman said.
He reiterated that Coup Align had to have firm footing.
Coup Align ran the 1200m in 1.08.05 compared with the track record of 1.07.21.
