Copy That now outright NZ Cup favourite after Self Assured blows it again in cup trial

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.