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Debbie Green hugs driver Andre Poutama after My Copy’s big upset at Auckland tonight.

Proud owner Deb beaming as Andre gets rank outsider My Copy home at Alexandra Park

Debbie Green knows My Copy will never set hearts aflutter like his half-brother Copy That but she just loves watching him race.

And when the big black scored his seventh win for her at Alexandra Park tonight, despite being terribly off in the ratings, she was beaming with pride.

My Copy, inner, staves off the late-closing Twista. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.My Copy, inner, staves off the late-closing Twista. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.“That’s so exciting. He’s no superstar but he’s a nice horse and I’ve always wanted to see what he could run over a mile.”

My Copy’s 1:55.6 wasn’t the fastest of the night but for a rating 51 horse taking on pacers rated between R57 and R65 it was a pretty decent showing.

“America will be wanting him now,” said Green whose husband Ray trains the five-year-old at Lincoln Farms.

“He deserved that,” Ray Green said. “He’s been a good thing beaten in his last couple of starts.

“I can’t believe nobody bought him when he had him on the market for $40,000. He’s closing in on $100,000 now.

“If you had him in Australia you’d get a living off him as he’s such a tractable bugger.”

Greg Pope, representing race sponsor IRT, shares a joke with trainer Ray Green.Greg Pope, representing race sponsor IRT, shares a joke with trainer Ray Green.My Copy took his bankroll to $87,860 tonight winning the IRT. Your Horse Our Passion Pace, and despite being the rank outsider in the seven-horse field paying $14.20, Green had rated him a chance if he got the right trip from the pole.

And while driver Andre Poutama had to hunt him out at the start to hold the trail, and My Copy looked to be struggling across the top bend, he responded like the trooper he is.

“He’s so laid back you’ve got to make him do it,” said Poutama, pinch-hitting for holidaying regular driver Maurice McKendry.

“If you let him get away with it, he will.”

Debbie Green greets My Copy after his seventh win.Debbie Green greets My Copy after his seventh win.But under Poutama’s urgings, My Copy reeled off a 56.1 last half and 27 quarter to claim a head win over Twista, with the pacemaking Hugotastic a weakening third, three-quarters of a length away.

And Debbie Green was there on the track to meet her hero on his return, no doubt still picturing the hairy little midget by Highview Tommy she bought for $3000 at a weanling sale when he was just five months old.

Our runners this week

Friday night at Cambridge

Lincoln Lover, Prince Lincoln, Debbie Lincoln, Lincoln Lou, Sugar Ray Lincoln (scratched).

Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them

Nathan Delany

Nathan’s comments

Tuesday twilight at Manawatu

Race 4: Leo Lincoln
5.44pm

“Fergie’s drive on Sunday was perfect, you couldn’t ask for better, and he said the horse was doing his best work in the last 50 metres. Maybe with another 100 metres he might have got there. His gate speed is only OK so I can see him getting crossed here.”

Race 5: Kevin Kline
6.19pm

“Fergie said he did it easily on the first day, and the horse only did what he had to. He’s been racing much nicer horses at Auckland so it was good to get the win, hopefully it will boost his confidence. I’ll leave the tactics up to Fergie but I imagine he’ll probably do the same thing again, loop the field and outstay them.”

Race 6: Onyx Shard
6.54pm

“I was hoping she’d drop down a grade. She’s had some tough trips recently, having to do a lot of work, and it didn’t help being three wide for the last lap on the first day. Also they only walked and sprinted home. She could be better coming with one run at them.”

Race Images - Harness