Copy That now outright NZ Cup favourite after Self Assured blows it again in cup trial
By Barry Lichter • 6 November 2020
Lincoln Farms’ stable star Copy That is now the outright $3.10 favourite for Tuesday’s $540,000 IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup.
The new market was framed after Wednesday’s cup trial at Addington and reflects the fact long time cup favourite Self Assured made yet another poor beginning from a stand and Copy That paced away faultlessly.
Self Assured, who has drifted from $2.70 to $3.20, never looked like stepping cleanly and galloped for 14 strides, only getting into a pace when driver Mark Purdon angled him onto the back of Vintage Cheddar on the markers.
Self Assured started in the middle of the seven horse field with much more room than he will have on Tuesday when 10 horses will breast the front tape - from eight he will have seven horses inside him and two outside him.
Purdon took the horse off the unruly list for the cup, gambling on making a safe beginning from the front, rather than having to start wide out and just behind the second row horses.
Copy That, drawn the ace, is the only one of the favoured runners drawn the front - third and fourth favourites Spankem and Classie Brigade are both on the second row.
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Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 2: Sammy Lincoln
6.18pm
“He was checked and locked wheels into the first turn last week and he had a decent puncture wound in his leg from where they ran into him so you certainly couldn’t condemn him for galloping. He’s a really nice horse, who is going to win races quickly. He hasn’t missed any work, and should be right in it.”
Race 3: Lincoln Wave
6.43pm
“He’s drawn wide again (six) but he’s good enough to get the job done. It’s a bit more of a test for him but there are no cup horses in there and he’s a pretty nice horse. We’ve waited for both him and Sammy Lincoln because of their setbacks at two but it’s been worth it.”
Race 4: Johnny Lincoln
7.11pm
“He was very tough in winning after sitting parked last week. He’s awkwardly drawn again but he tries hard and, with a bit of luck and a good trip, he can get some of it.”
Race 6: Tyson
8.08pm
“Completely forget his run last week when he had no luck in the running. He’s a definite chance.”
Race 6: Spiritual Bliss
8.08pm
“She took no harm from the incident last Friday and has trained on well. I think she’ll go well. If you analyse her run, they went down the back in 27.8 and she did well to finish on for fourth after sitting parked.”
