Trainer Ray Green with Copy That, whose Victorian campaign has hit a snag.
Copy That lame after paddock accident - Ray anxiously waiting for vet to assess damage
By Barry Lichter • 26 December 2021
Copy That’s Australian campaign has had another setback, an injury forcing him out of tonight’s Sokyola Sprint at Ballarat.
Trainer Ray Green does not yet know the extent of the damage to the horse’s off hind leg and what impact it will have on the rest of the horse’s summer campaign in Victoria.
“It’s a bit of a worry as he’s very lame,” said Green after discovering the horse must have kicked out at a rail in his paddock.
“He can barely put his foot to the ground and I’m just waiting for the vet to come.”
The injury, just below his hock, is the latest blow in a campaign which Green says has been a disaster from day one.
First Green’s departure from Auckland was delayed a day because of Covid paper work, preventing him from overseeing the horse’s prep for the Cranbourne Cup or even attending the meeting.
Then in last Saturday’s race, Copy That endured a torrid trip before weakening to last.
Green had been confident the New Zealand Cup winner was back to his best, however, the way he felt in training last week.
“It’s an occupational hazard. You have to be philiosophical about these things or you couldn’t do this job.
“The best scenario is he makes a quick recovery and we can continue his campaign without too much interruption.”
Copy That’s main mission is the A$500,000 Hunter Cup on February 5 and his choice of lead-up races includes:
* the A$70,000 Bendigo Pacing Cup on January 8
* the A$60,000 Shepparton Cup on January 15
* the A$110,000 Ballarat Pacing Cup on January 22 and
* the A$50,000 Casey Classic at Melton on January 29.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Cambridge
Race 5: Sammy Lincoln
6.45pm
“You can’t hold that last race against him and he probably needed the run too as it was his first for a couple of months. Ability-wise he’s very good and on paper he should win. If he turns up, he’s the one to beat for sure.”
Race 6: Colonel Lincoln
7.20pm
“He got hooked up last week in that melee down the back straight and once you lose that momentum it’s hard, particularly when you’re get back in the field. He’ll go an honest race but he really needs to lose a point or two so he can get a better draw or an easier field.”
Race 9: Leo Lincoln
9.07pm
“He was closing on the winner last week, even though American Me had already switched off. There are no American Mes this week and you can guarantee he’ll be in it. He’ll go better the Cambridge way round - he handle the corners a lot better.”
Race 9: Ultimate Cullect
9.07pm
“I thought she went quite a good race last week and her driver Tony Cameron also said she went well and tried hard. She lacks a yard of speed - when they accelerate she flounders a bit - but she winds up and whacks away.”
