Gun pacers Copy That and Old Town Road trial in super style - and recover just as fast!

Copy That will be joined on his flight to Melbourne on Wednesday by Old Town Road after the two horses trialled in great style at Pukekohe today.

The pair, denied a start at Cambridge on Saturday night when Harness Racing New Zealand scrubbed the $25,000 Cliff Thomas Memorial feature because only four horses entered, was given a strong workout over 2500 metres.

Taken straight to the front from gate release by Andrew Drake, Copy That set a solid tempo, with Old Town Road and Zachary Butcher hard on his tail.

Old Town Road, outer, and Copy That sprint up the home straight today.The pair went head to head down the home straight, with Old Town Road holding a neck margin at the line.

But Drake said he never put any pressure on Copy That who closed in the slick sectionals of 55.2 for the 800 and 25.6 for the 400, for an overall time of 3:11.2, a mile rate of 2:03.

“He felt good,” said Drake who will be in charge of Copy That on his Melbourne campaign.

“I clocked him over his last mile and a half in 3:04 and didn’t really do much on him up the straight, just pulled the plugs and chirped him along.

“He won’t need much more in Aussie that’s for sure. He’ll be ready.”

Copy That’s opening race will be the A$150,000 Ballarat Cup (2710m) on January 21 before his main mission, the A$500,000 Hunter Cup (2760m) at Melton on February 4.

Andrew Drake sets a solid pace on Copy That.Trainer Ray Green, overseeing the workout despite still recovering from surgery after being kicked in the stomach on November 21, said Old Town Road would be a worthy rival in both races, acknowledging the up-and-comer’s speed.

“There are a few who are just as fast as Copy That but they can’t carry their speed as far. Copy That is a unique little horse.”

One of the reasons for the horse’s rare motor was again evident after the workout when Green used his heart monitor to check Copy That’s recovery rate.

Immediately on being ungeared and entering the wash bay at Lincoln Farms’ barn, it registered 79. Barely two minutes later it had already dropped to 73.

Trainer Ray Green checks Copy That’s heart rate afterwards.Copy That’s remarkable heart rate resounded with Old Town Road’s trainer John Dickie who said he’d never trained a better winded horse than his own five-year-old.

Dickie said it wasn’t hard to make the call to go ahead with the Melbourne campaign when he saw how quickly Old Town Road recovered today after the workout.

“I was really pleased with the run and Zac said he felt awesome. The trip south for the cup and the three weeks he had off has really been beneficial for him. We think he’s a better horse now.”

Dickie acknowledged missing Saturday’s race would not help Old Town Road - “you can get away with it in a lesser grade but in Group One racing there’s nothing like race fitness.

Back in the paddock as fresh as a daisy.“I still think he’ll be more than competitive at Ballarat but strip fit for the Hunter Cup.

“He’ll come home after that as there are four Group Ones in New Zealand to go in.”

Dickie’s son Josh will look after Old Town Road in Victoria for the first week before Dickie senior flies over - “I like to be hands-on.”

Butcher will drive Old Town Road throughout his campaign.

In other heats today, Lincoln Farms’ Lincoln River led all the way to win his 2050 metre heat, with Next To Me third, and Butcher’s Zarias was too strong in his first workout of a new campaign, with My Copy third and Neptune fifth, in a tame 3:18.9.