Copy That can spark New Year’s Eve fireworks even in four-horse race at Alexandra Park

Trainer Ray Green was happy to see common sense prevail today when Harness Racing New Zealand sanctioned a four-horse feature race at Auckland on Saturday evening.

It was feared the Lincoln Farms sponsored Franklin Cup might be scrubbed when only three horses entered against champion pacer Copy That yesterday and nominations had to be extended.

And while two more horses were put in overnight, Green’s Riverman Sam, and Bunty and Gareth Hughes’ The Honey Queen, with indications they might later scratch, in the end only the original four horses were carded to run.

Green said he was pleased HRNZ agreed there was little sense in insisting on a six-horse field for the Group II $50,000 event to go ahead.

Ray Green … “Even if they’d got three more horses it wouldn’t have boosted the betting.”“Even if they’d got three more horses it wouldn’t have boosted the betting. I was prepared to put Riverman Sam in but not one dollar would have been spent on him in that race.

“Everyone knows horses would have gone in there just to make the race happen. And why can the race when you’ve got a horse with a cult following like Copy That in it?”

HRNZ might have been worried about setting a precedent but every case had to be considered on its merits, Green said.

Opened at $1.20

Copy That has opened an unbackable $1.20 favourite after stringing together five spectacular wins and Green says you’d think something would have to go seriously wrong for him not to win.

“But it is horse racing and anything can happen.”

Copy That is on the same maximum 30 metre back mark as when he was untested to win the Thames Summer Cup two weeks ago.

But both Kango and Hot And Treacherous get an extra 15 metre advantage on the champ this time, moving forward to the front line.

And if Kango stepped to the front, put his foot down, and clocked 3:19.4 like he did in March, Copy That would need to run exceptional time to catch him.

With each 10 metres equating to eight tenths of a second, Copy That, off 30 metres, could catch Kango with a 3:17 clocking. That would be inside the former national record at the Park held by Triple Eight at 3:17.2, which was broken only when the champ ran 3:16 flat at Cambridge at the end of October from a 70 metre back mark.

Andrew Drake with Copy That after his Thames Cup win.Green and his stable foreman Andrew Drake are confident Copy That can win.

“I don’t think it matters that those horses are getting a let-up,” Green said. “He has only three horses to round up, it’s not like there’s a lot of traffic to circumnavigate.”

Green, who has been on the easy list since an extensive operation after being kicked in the stomach, visited the stable and inspected Copy That today.

“The horse is looking good and I’m planning on being at the track on Saturday to watch him.

“I’m slowly getting sorted. I’m improving all the time and, while I’m still limited in what I can do, I’ve felt a lot better in the last few days.”

Melbourne owners Merv and Meg Butterworth will make a long overdue visit to the track too to watch their star pacer.

Covid restrictions have prevented them from seeing most of his 20 wins at Alexandra Park but they’re hoping to rekindle the winning feeling there on New Year’s Eve.

After Saturday they won’t have so far to travel to see Copy That who is scheduled to contest the A$150,000 Ballarat Cup (2710m) on January 21 then the A$500,000 A G Hunter Cup (2760m) at Melton on February 4.

“Everything is in line for those races,” Green said. “These races are all instrumental in getting him fit for the bigger fish he has to fry.”

Lincoln Farms has three other in-form runners on the twilight New Year’s Eve card, Frankie Major and Neptune with only four rivals in the Northern Juvenile Classic, and Lincoln River drawn awkwardly in the fifth race.

“I think Frankie Major and Neptune are the two best in the race. Frankie is the more accomplished but I wouldn’t like to separate them, it depends which one gets the better trip.

Frankie fibrillated

“Frankie fibrillated last time and that’s as good an excuse as you could conjur up. He shouldn’t do that again. He’s a bit quicker than Neptune who hasn’t beaten anything serious yet. It’s early days for him, though, he’s still developing.”

The only horse that looks to stand between the pair and the winner’s cheque is southerner Charlie Brown, who was unlucky in his Auckand debut two weeks ago.

Green doesn’t believe the inside second row draw will hamper Lincoln River too much.

“Lincoln River has no gate speed anyway so it won’t worry him. He’s been running good races from dodgy trips and if he repeats what he’s done in his last two he’s a serious chance.”

Lincoln River was very brave in his last start at the Park, parked for the last 1600 metres and pipped only half a neck late by Neptune, who enjoyed the run on his back.

In his previous start, he came from the tail of the field at the 400 to be beaten only a head, ripping off the fastest closing 800 and 400 in the race.