Torrid trip just too much for Copy That at Cranbourne but Ray turns the page
By Barry Lichter • 19 December 2021
Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green will get Copy That blood tested tomorrow but doesn’t expect to find anything to explain his career worst run in Saturday night’s Cranbourne Cup.
“He just had too tough a trip,” said Green matter-of-factly today. “We’ll just have to turn the page.”
Green, who arrived a day late and under Covid restrictions wasn’t permitted to go to the track, had to drive 30km to see the race in a Kilmore TAB and said it was a very hard watch.
Copy That had to use plenty of petrol early as he was five, four then three wide round the first bend before driver Chris Svanosio blasted forward to try to wrest the lead from Amazing Dream.
But Svanosio quickly backed off when Anthony Butt quickened and sat parked until General Dodge pressed forward soon afterwards to give him cover.
But a couple of hundred metres later Svanosio left the one-one to take up the death seat again where he stayed until putting up the white flag on the home turn.
Ray Green … “I’m sure he’ll bounce back.”“He was still there on the corner but you could see he was struggling,” Green said.
“Chris gave him a slap and, to his credit, when there was nobody home he didn’t drive him up the straight. But it was still sad to see him drop out.”
Copy That ran last, 36 metres behind winner Supreme Dominator and 20 metres behind the second last horse with the mobile 2555 event run at a 1:57.8 mile rate.
“We told Chris to drive the horse aggressively but that was too much for him to deal with.
“We won’t worry about it. The horse is a little tired this morning but seems to have pulled up fine. He’s eaten everything. I’ll take a blood tomorrow to see where he’s at and he’ll have an easy two or three days.”
Green is confident Copy That can bounce back.
“He has a good constitution and looked beautiful going into the race.”
Copy That was to have had his next race in the Bendigo Cup on January 8 but Green says he’ll just play it by ear.
The horse seemed to be settling in well to his new surroundings at Svanosio’s Romsey stable even if he was a little bit more aware of his colt status than at home.
More news in Harness
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Ray: Preferential draw for top fillies makes it tough for everyone else in Golden Gait series
Patient owners hoping high-priced Colonel can salute at Cambridge on Thursday night
Friday’s Lincoln Farms Franklin Cup all about the standing start manners of Aussie raider
Our runners this week
Tuesday at Cambridge
Colonel Lincoln, Onyx Shard, Commander Lincoln, Debbie Lincoln, Kevin Kline, Lincoln La Moose, The Big Lebowski.
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 2: Commander Lincoln
5.51pm
“Back to Cambridge and the easier amateur ranks he can get some of it. He’s an honest little horse who pays his way.”
Race 4: Onyx Shard
6.49pm
“She’s a nice filly who is training really well and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her in the money in spite of the outside draw. She’d be one of the best in that field and is definitely an each-way chance.”
Race 6: Colonel Lincoln
7.39pm
“He hasn’t raced for nearly 21 months but his training has been good and he should go well first-up. He’s a beautiful, big horse who probably lacks a yard of speed to be a real super horse but he’s got everything else. I expect him to go well against this lot.”
Race 7: Lincoln La Moose
8.04pm
“He’s training well and has surprised us before, like when he won his first start at Cambridge like a monster after breaking on the first turn. It’s always the way when they win their first start - it makes things hard for them after that - but he’s travelling well now and is capable of being in it.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Lincoln Lou
7.09pm
“He’ll be relying on a heap of good luck from the second row. His last run was a non-event. The poor little bugger couldn’t have done a better job of finding trouble. He’s trained on all right.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.09pm
“He’s training really well and he showed last time what a big motor he had, losing all that ground early and still getting up to win. He’s not famous for his gate speed but as long as he gets away safely then Maurice can put him in the race at the right time. There are a lot of horses in there that aren’t that safe who could stand on their ear. Navigating through them is always a worry. He’ll need some luck but he could give them a fright.”
Race 6: Frisco Bay
8.05pm
“He obviously can’t beat Duchess Megxit or Jeremiah but if he gets a good trip he’s a chance of getting some money. Things didn’t suit him last time - being out three wide then going to the front. He’s so hot, he over-races. He goes best if he’s allowed to slop out and find the back of something, when he generally relaxes. Even if he got back a bit, that would be all right, so long as he gets sucked along.”
