Copy That won despite having virus last start so what’s he going to do to them on Saturday?

Copy That was carrying a few unwanted passengers when he smashed his rivals at Melton 10 days ago.

You wouldn’t have known it the way the star pacer ran away from his rivals in the Gammalite Free-for-all but trainer Ray Green revealed today Copy That had a virus that night.

“I thought he looked a bit flat at the finish so we took a blood off him and his white cell count was elevated.

“That explained why he didn’t finish it off as well as I thought he should have.”

Even though Copy That spurted away from his rivals turning for home, at the line he held only a 3.6 metre margin over runner-up Crime Writer, Green originally putting that down to his habit of knocking off when in front.

“But we’ve rectified that problem and he seems fine now so I’m expecting a big run from him on Saturday night.”

Copy That has come up with a sweet front row draw of three in the A$50,000 Smoken Up Sprint (mobile 1720m) with one of his main dangers Bondi Lockdown on the second row.

His three main Victoria Cup challengers are missing on Saturday but 1:47.6 Chariots Of Fire winner Better Eclipse resumes, drawn immediately inside Copy That.

Argyle and Simply Sam both have good front row draws in their Victoria Derby heats, Argyle drawn three in the first 2760 metre heat and Simply Sam four in the second.

Argyle was an all-the-way winner at Melton in his first start in Victoria.Hitting sulky wheels

Argyle’s heat is stacked with talented three-year-olds boasting winning formlines but Green says the eighth in Argyle’s ruined formline was not his fault.

“It was a bit worrying watching him stop like that but he basically beat himself up

“Nathan (Jack) said you can forget he went around as he was hitting the wheels.”

Jack told Green that Argyle left the gate well to lead but after that he was mostly just a runaway. With claiming junior driver Abby Sanderson outside and running him on Ozzie Playboy, Argyle got pulling and half choked down.

“The more he pulled, the more he hit the wheels. He had a different sulky on and was too far forward in the cart.

“Nathan used his own cart the start before and he’ll bring it again on Saturday night.”

Green said he’s not sure if it contributed to Argyle’s problem, but he’d also been told that horses trained on straight line tracks can stretch out more in races. Argyle has done some of his work in a straight line since being stabled at Yabby Dam Farm in Ballarat.

Simply Sam has the best of the draws in the second Victoria Derby heat, with winning machines Captain Ravishing and Leap To Fame both on the second row and Green is expecting further improvement from the horse.

“If he beats those two it will be a top effort but he’s arriving at the right time. He’d had only two runs prior to last week, and they were both soft races, but Nathan said he felt so much better.

“He wasn’t beaten for speed, he just got tired the last bit.”

Green said with the Withers Classic run at such a hectic tempo, it wasn’t surprising Sam ran out of gas, finishing a 22 metre third.

“Captain Ravishing broke the Kilmore track record (running the 2180 metres in a 1:54.6 mile rate) and Sam would have gone under it as well. He just flattened out the last bit otherwise he could have run second.

“That should tighten him up for the heat on Saturday. That was the idea of coming over here early to get races to fit him. It’s worked out well.”

Green said while Captain Ravishing looked something special, he believed the draws had given Lincoln Farms’ pair the chance to show their stuff.

“We’ll just need a bit of luck in the run and if we’re good enough, we’re good enough, if not, we’re not.”

Argyle races at 10.58pm NZ time at Melton on Saturday night.Simply Sam races at 11.28pm NZ time at Melton on Saturday night.Copy That races at 11.58pm NZ time at Melton on Saturday night.