At last, a front row draw for Copy That which gives him a great Swing at the King
By Barry Lichter • 13 July 2021
Trainer Ray Green finally got his wish for a good draw for Copy That when the horse drew the front row in Saturday night’s $A100,000 Sunshine Sprint at Albion Park.
But best of all, the two main rivals for the Lincoln Farms’ star have both drawn badly, Aussie champion King Of Swing in gate 11 on the outside of the second line and Brisbane hero Colt Thirty One inside him in 10.
Copy That has turned in two exceptional runs at the Queensland carnival so far, winning the A$30,000 Wondai’s Mate from an impossible position on the home turn and running a close second in last Saturday night’s A$250,000 Rising Sun after striking early interference from the outside of the second row.
The mobile 1660 metres will suit Copy That, who is a brilliant beginner, and gate five gives him the chance to fulfil Green’s prediction that they “won’t see which way he went if he draws an alley.”
Rising Sun Consolation winner American Dealer, on the other hand, is lumbered with the outside of the front line in the A$30,000 South East Derby, but does not have to lock horns with Krug who is a notable omission after his fourth in the Rising Sun.
And Friday night’s impressive winner Tommy Lincoln is also out of luck drawn three on the second row in the A$30,000 Four-Year-Old Championship.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Tyson
6.59pm
“He was tough again in winning last week. He’s trained on well, is in good shape, and should be right in it.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
6.59pm
“He’s finally getting his act together - he’s gone three good races in a row - and seemingly turned the corner. We’ve had a lot of (vet) work done on him, his feet in particular, and it’s paid off. There’s not much between him and Tyson.”
Race 5: Rivergirl Bella
7.23pm
“She’ll need everything to go her way from the draw. But she’s got a bit of speed. She’s getting there. She wasn’t very strong before and wasn’t tracking too well, but she’s driving right now.”
Race 5: Lincoln Linda
7.23pm
“She’s had a few issues, mostly mental ones, and is still a bit of a handful. It wasn’t very pretty last week but we’re slowly getting her under control. The outside draw might actually help her.”
Race 5: Angelic Copy
7.23pm
“She needs only a half decent trip to feature. She got held up a little bit in the straight at a crucial time last week and that was that.”
Race 6: Prince Lincoln
7.49pm
“He’s drawn the best of ours in three. He got cheated for a run last week. It’s hard to know where he’d have finished without that.”
Race 6: Lincoln Lover
7.49pm
“Ferg reckoned if he’d been able to hold up in the trail last week he would have won. He was very bullish about how he’d gone. The draw’s no help but he can do a bit of work. He’s an honest little guy who saves his best for when the money’s up on racenight.”
Race 6: Johnny Lincoln
7.49pm
“He got a bit keen last week but he should be a lot better this time. He’s still learning and he’s a slow learner. When he does things correctly he’s a pretty nice horse. Hopefully he can get a suck into it from the second row draw.”
