Andrew reports the champ’s sharp and the bookies say $1.50 despite outside mile draw

Andrew Drake is speaking from first hand experience when he says Copy That is feeling sharp for his resuming run at Auckland on Friday night.

Copy That won’t have raced for 31 days when he lines up against five rivals over a mobile mile at Alexandra Park - having been quietly working up since winning the New Zealand Trotting Cup.

The TAB bookies don’t see that as a problem, pricing him at $1.50 to win over Allamericanlover ($4.20) and Hot And Treacherous ($6.50).

And, while Lincoln Farms’ foreman says Copy That will obviously improve with the run, and so be fitter for next week’s $50,000 Thames Cup, the feel the horse has given him this week has been memorable.

“When you drive him you know why he’s won two New Zealand Cups. He’s felt sharp in his work this week.”

Drake is keeping the seat warm behind the champ while trainer Ray Green recovers from surgery after being kicked in the stomach.

And with Green back in hospital this week, and looking at a long road back to full fitness, Drake is likely to keep that role for the near future.

Maurice McKendry checks his stopwatch for trainer Ray Green after Copy That ran home in 26 flat at the Pukekohe workouts.“It’s his first race for a while but he’s had two trials to bring him forward,” Drake said.

Drake drove Copy That in his first workout back, on November 25, when he swept up from the back to lead in the straight, outsprinted late by Chimichurri.

Maurice McKendry was on last Saturday when, again off a 50 metre handicap, Copy That ran second to the same horse, again beaten a length.

Chimichurri, a top chance fresh-up in the fifth race on Friday night, ran 3:14.9 for the 2500 metres, McKendry clocking Copy That home in 26, reporting he felt flat close to home like he needed the blowout.

That run will have sharper on Friday night when he will start from the outside of the arm in a six-horse field, never an easy task over a mile.

But with a big rating advantage of R120 over Hot And Treacherous (R91) and Allamericanlover (R88), he will still take a lot of beating.

With McKendry committed to Hot And Treacherous, Blair Orange, his regular South Island pilot, comes north to handle Copy That, plus four others in the Lincoln Farms’ team.

Ideal Kingdom (Zachary Butcher) after scoring by three and a half lengths in his workout last Saturday.Maiden win predicted

Drake is predicting a win for Lincoln Farms in the second race for non-winners, where Orange drives Ideal Kingdom and McKendry is behind Bettor Cheer.

While Ideal Kingdom was a slick all-the-way winner at the Pukekohe workouts last Saturday, he hasn’t raced for more than four months.

“He had a good blow after his workout and will probably take a couple of runs to get fit.

“Hopefully he’ll be spot on for the Northern Juvenile Classic on December 31.

“I thought Bettor Cheer would be the best chance of our two,” Drake said.

“I’m happy with how he came through his debut run. To sit parked like he did for the last lap and a bit, and still run second, surprised me.

“He’ll know what he’s out there for now and he was good in his work this week. He’s such a dude to work with.

“One of the two should win.”

Lincoln River has been gelded since last racing. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.Gelded River a chance

Drake gives Lincoln River a decent chance in the fourth race even though he blotted his formline last time.

That was on September 23 when, from a bad draw, he got back in the running for junior driver Monika Ranger, was hampered 450 metres out, then the deafeners and sliding blinds wouldn’t release after the cord became entangled.

Since then the two-year-old has been gelded - “He was thinking too much.”

Drake drove the horse into third in a workout on November 25 and reported he felt strong.

“He fast worked on Saturday and again felt sharp. He won’t be out of it.”

Orange has a good drive in Frankie Major in the fifth race but winning might be a stretch against Chimichurri and smart newcomer Jack The Builder.

With pole runner Mitch also engaged at Manawatu tnight, Drake is hoping he comes out so Frankie Major can move into the inside draw.

“If that happens, he’ll be handy in the running, can stay on fence and won’t have to go around a horse.

“He was very good last time, coming off the three fence spot, and finishing well, and he trialled well on Saturday. He’s a top three chance.”

Leading driver Blair Orange comes north on Friday to drive five for Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green, including Trinity Star. PHOTO: Ajay Berry/Race Images.Drake says the stable is feeling out newcomer Trinity Star ($26) in the seventh race, the Northern Breeders’ Stakes, where she meets smart customers Darling Me ($2.30), Manhattan ($4.50) and La Rosa ($5.50).

Sent north by Melbourne owners Merv and Meg Butterworth after winning a double at Manawatu for Michael House, Trinity Star is on trial for a start in the $100,000 Queen Of Hearts on December 16.

“I was happy with how she trialled at the weekend,” said Drake of the five-year-old who led and was outsprinted late only by Frankie Major.

“She came out of the gate the other day so could be handy in the running but we’ll leave that up to Blair, who knows her well.”

Drake said Trinity Star will race in a head check on Friday.

“We’ll know more about the horse after this week.”

Lincoln Farms’ only other starter, Simply Sam, looks to have no chance, taking on vastly higher rated horses in the feature mile.

“I feel sorry for him having to race Copy That and co but it will be another chance to get him fit. He needed the run badly first-up.”

Held up early in the run home, Simply Sam ran seventh but was in a line with most of the rest of the field who could not make any ground on clearcut winner Hey Bartender.