Ray Green, in the hospital day room with Lincoln Farms’ foreman Andrew Drake, admiring IRT’s gift of Copy That’s cup double.
Thanks IRT! Ray back on his hind legs and smiling thanks to cup sponsor’s gift
By Barry Lichter • 28 November 2022
The Ray Green smile was back today - thanks to some timely generosity from IRT managing director Richard Cole.
Green, in Middlemore Hospital recovering from major stomach surgery after being kicked, delighted in being given a large, framed montage of Copy That’s back-to-back wins in the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup.
The display, by Race Images’ Ajay Berry, captured brilliantly the memory of some glory days which Green is holding on to as he begins his long road to recovery.
Green was up and about in the ward day room today, discussing the preparation of his team at Lincoln Farms with foreman Andrew Drake.
“I’m lucky the stable is in very good hands,” Green said. “Andrew is liaising really well with me and they know what to do. We’ll get through this.”
It’s a far cry from the initial prognosis when the surgeon who operated on Green for seven hours last Monday told his wife Debbie “he’s not out of the woods yet. Don’t get your hopes up too high.”
“It was a bit of a worry for two or three days. I definitely thought I was dead. It was horrendous.”
IRT’s Richard Cole and his uncle David join Merv and Meg Butterworth on the victory dais at Addington. PHOTO: Ajay Berry/Race ImagesApart from the pain, Green said he couldn’t eat or drink or sleep.
“It was tough. I didn’t sleep for three days, tossing and turning and vomiting. But the last three days I’ve been getting better and better. And last night I had a really good night’s sleep.”
Nibbling on a hard boiled egg and some beetroot, Green told how apart from half an avocado he’d eaten very little the previous week.
With postoperative ileus, where the body basically shuts down and rejects food or water, Green said he had to wait for his bowel and gut to start functioning again.
He’s back in semi-working order again now but will have to wear a stoma bag for the next few months - surgeons created a hole in his abdomen through which a tube now funnels away his body wastes.
Stoma bag named Rose
Green, who has nicknamed the bag “Rose”, after his treasured No. 1 hospital nurse, said he’d been kicked plenty of times in the past but nothing approaching the severity of what happened last week.
“I couldn’t believe how hard that filly kicked me or why it would want to. It was unreal. It just barrelled me and I went flying through the air. Luckily I had my helmet on.”
Green said after initially protesting he’d be fine with 30 minutes rest, he knew after five minutes he was in trouble and needed to go to hospital.
“You can get a bit macho sometimes in this business. You think you can be a tough guy, take the kicks and bounce back.
“When I woke up after the operation all the texts were coming in saying ‘you’re tough, you’ll bounce back’ but I don’t think they understood just how bad it was.”
Green still hopes to recover faster than his doctors anticipate - he’s expecting to be discharged in the next few days and hopes to visit the stables by Friday.
He’s hoping to get back to the races next week when Copy That will be entered for a mobile mile, the cup winner’s last chance to get fit for the $50,000 Thames Summer Cup (2200m) the following week.
Whether or not Copy That gets a start remains to be seen. Last week he and Hot And Treacherous were scrubbed out by Harness Racing New Zealand because they were deemed to be too good for their opposition.
The Summer Cup and the $50,000 Lincoln Farms Franklin Cup (2700m) on December 31, are both standing starts with a maximum back mark of 30 metres.
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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.
