Merv and Meg Butterworth celebrate Cyclone U Bolt’s second Jewels win at Ashburton in 2013.
Covid keeps Merv and Meg away but they’re putting the champagne on ice for Copy That
By Barry Lichter • 2 June 2021
Even before today’s announcement that Victoria’s lockdown would be extended by seven days, owner Merv Butterworth had decided Copy That would have to run at Sunday’s Jewels without him.
Butterworth, 78, and his wife Meg last night abandoned plans to fly from Melbourne to New Zealand in the face of daily increases in the number of Covid-19 cases in the community.
“There are so many infectious now we thought mixing with hundreds of people at the airport and on the plane wasn’t a good idea.
“We decided we were better off continuing to isolate and get in a couple of buckets of ice and champagne bottles.”
The Covid-19 lockdown in Victoria was scheduled to end on Friday but with another six cases notified today, 60 cases in all and 350 exposure sites, it has now been extended until midnight on Thursday, June 10.
Merv Butterworth has enjoyed a great run with Copy That who has now won 17 races for him.Butterworth will have to be content with watching the Cambridge Jewels meeting from his home, with no visitors, but he has had a few bets to keep him interested.
“He’s at excellent odds. I’m not worried about the draw. It would have been nice if we’d drawn one, two, three or four but he’s the best horse in the race.
“I got on at $3.40, then had to divide my second bet by four to get on again and they wouldn’t let me have a third go. You’d think it was their own money.”
The TAB bookies listed the early betting on Copy That as $2000 at $3.40 and $500 at $3.40, the horse’s odds now tightened to $3.20.
Butterworth says he’s also taken a string of multis, as he can see a majority of the favourites winning on Sunday.
The Butterworths are no stranger to success on Jewels day, scored back-to-back wins at Cambridge in 2014 with King Denny and Supersonic Miss, and will be chasing their sixth win on Sunday.
He and his wife Meg have enjoyed success with:
- Cyclone U Bolt, twice. He took the 2012 Three-Year-Old Ruby at Cambridge and 2013 Four-Year-Old Ruby at Ashburton.
- King Denny, who also won trotting jewels twice - the Three-Year-Old Ruby at Cambridge in 2014 and Four-Year-Old Ruby at Ashburton in 2015 and
- Supersonic Miss, who won the 2014 Two-Year-Old Diamond at Cambridge.
Their placings at the Jewels date back to the inaugural event in 2007 and very first race when Lucy Thundercloud ran third as rank outsider, paying $33, behind $81 upsetter GTH Aveross.
Their other placings include:
* Nokomai who ran third to Adore Me in the Three-Year-Old Diamond at Ashburton in 2013.
* Golden Goddess, who finished second in the Three-Year-Old Diamond at Cambridge in 2016 and
* President Roydon who ran a neck second to Enghein in the Three-Year-Old Ruby at Ashburton in 2017.
Few owners have enjoyed as much success at the Jewels as the Butterworths, who raced all except Supersonic Miss on their own.
But prolific winners Phil and Glenys Kennard have won 13 Jewels in syndicates, Trevor Casey has enjoyed nine wins and the late Charlie Roberts six.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Debbie Lincoln
5.26pm
“She had to sit parked most of the way last time but still went well, and that’s what she does. She’s proven to be a very promising filly and, while it’s hard these days to win without a good trip, it’s an even field and she’s a good chance again.”
Race 2: Lincoln Lou
5.55pm
“He probably cost himself a win last week by going roughly, but he can do that. If he’d got Frisco Bay’s trip he would have won with his closing quarters of 56 and 27 the fastest in the race. He’s just got to do things right to be the one to beat, even from the bad draw, as it’s an easier field.”
Race 5: Frisco Bay
7.30pm
“He’s up in grade a bit but I don’t think there’s anything between them. He’s just got to get the right run and, with his speed, he’ll be right in it.”
Race 6: Kevin Kline
7.59pm
“He’s no superstar but he’s very honest and he’s always a place chance as he’s a tough bugger, he sat parked last week.”
Race 6: Colonel Lincoln
7.59pm
“With a similar run to last week, he’d be right in it. He clocked 55.8 and 27.7, doing his best work at the finish. He hasn’t gone a bad race since he’s come back.”
Race 8: Prince Lincoln
8.59pm
“I wasn’t expecting him to do anything on debut as he’s a green, young horse. But he went very well so he’s obviously lifted his game for the occasion. And he’s trained on even better so the experience has enhanced him. From the inside he has to be a good chance.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.59pm
“She’s definitely a better animal left-handed but she was passable right-handed and should go better this time. She’s got some speed.”
Race 8: Lincoln Downs
8.59pm
“She’s a nice filly but is behind the others. I don’t expect her to beat anything but she needs the experience.”
Race 8: Lincoln Linda
8.59pm
“There won’t be any shadows for her to jump this time so she has to be a serious chance. She’d been dominant at the workouts and trials before her debut but didn’t get the chance to show her true worth.”
Race 8: Lincoln Lover
8.59pm
“Fergie was quite impressed with him on debut and requested the drive again. He finished on strongly up the lane and should go well again. He just needs some luck from the outside of the gate.”
Mark Dux’s comments
Saturday night at Albion Park
Race 3: Argyle
9.04pm NZ time
“I thought his last two starts have been terrific. There’s no doubt this race is tougher, and he has trickier draw, but I was talking to Angus last night and he was quite upbeat about his chances. He said the horse gave him a good feel when he sat parked two starts back and he picked him too (in the draft). But it won’t be easy. There could be a bit of pressure early. I think he’ll come out and see what unfolds and, if there is too much pressure, he’ll drive him quietly.”
Ray’s comments
Sunday at Manawatu
Race 1: Onyx Shard
5.29pm
“You can put a line through her last run at Cambridge when she pulled up showing signs of a respiratory infection. She had a couple of weeks off after that and, while she hasn’t trialled since, she’s been training down nicely. She’s a nice filly and from the good draw should really win.”
Race 3: Lincoln La Moose
6.19pm
“He wasn’t far away in the amateur race at Auckland last time despite jumping a shadow early and galloping. This is a decent drop in class for him and he should be very competitive.
