Early evasive action costly for brave Copy That but Ray happy he’s got the best horse

A wayward rival almost certainly cost Copy That a win in tonight’s A$250,000 Rising Sun at Albion Park in Brisbane after a brilliant tactical drive by Anthony Butt.

Butt looked to have an uphill battle drawn the outside of the second row in the feature race and few would have predicted he’d put his foot down right from the start.

But he sent the horse forward, his plan to try to stay ahead of Luke McCarthy on Expensive Ego, and in a terrible stoke of luck Kowalski Analysis galloped when trying to cross from four and forced Butt to swing five and six wide to avoid him round the first corner.

That meant Butt was forced to use more petrol than he should have to land up outside the leader, the many lengths he lost crucial in the final analysis as he lost out in a photo finish by only a head.

“That early check certainly didn’t help,” Butt said afterwards. “But even though I had to do a bit to get up outside the leader, he had a great run after that.

“I figured if I went back and Luke got to control the race outside the leader, l’d have to come three wide on my own.”

Butt ended up getting a perfect one out, one back trail when McCarthy sent Expensive Ego to the death and he looked a big chance when angled out three wide turning for home.

Copy That, widest, comes up a head short of Amazing Dream who enjoyed a perfect trail. Expensve Ego shades Krug for third.But, in a scenario uncannily predicted by Copy That’s trainer Ray Green, Amazing Dream, the opportunist, sprung from the trail behind Krug and, with Mark Purdon driving vigorously, managed to hold the Lincoln Farms’ star by a head.

“He went great from the draw,” Butt said. “I couldn’t have asked to have got a better run. You couldn’t have scripted it any better.

“It’s always hard to win when you’ve got a great horse like Amazing Dream sitting in the trail but there was only a head in it.”

The race was solidly run, Krug bowling along for driver Blair Orange through even sectionals of 30.2, 29.2, 28 and 27.2, setting up a mile rate of 1:54.9 for the 2138 metres.

At the line, Copy That had 1.3 metres on Expensive Ego who just shaded Krug for third, leaving Green plenty proud of his charge.

“He’s gone super, you couldn’t fault him,” Green said.

“He deserved to win - it just wasn’t to be. He was unlucky he had to do a bit more work than he should have but, in spite of being beaten, he stamped himself as the best horse in the race.

“We just need a decent draw. I’d love to see him on the front end in next week’s Sunshine Sprint as they wouldn’t see which way he went.”

Green said he feared Amazing Dream would get a dream trip from her gifted three draw so wasn’t surprised to see her dash up the inside late.

“That’s how she wins all her races.”

Dealer v Krug all on in derby

Green said the fact Krug didn’t cop the pressure he came under when leading left him even more convinced tonight’s Consolation winner American Dealer will be very competitive against him in the A$100,000 Queensland Derby on July 24.

“Krug is vulnerable - he showed that tonight and we’ve beaten him before.

“Racing against the older horses is a big transition to make. People don’t realise how hard it is coming from age group racing.”

Green noted American Dealer’s winning mile rate of 1:54.4 was faster than Amazing Dream’s 1:54.9.

“He had to do a bit early, Anthony had to go sooner than he wanted, and he still staved them all off.”

Green was philosophical about having gone so close to a notable double, Copy That’s cheque of A$41,850 a lot shy of the winner’s A$146,475.

“Both horses went very well tonight. You win some and you lose some. As a trainer you just want your horses to go well and pull up well, which they have.

“Now I’m looking forward to next week.”