Copy That on the receiving end of Messenger walk fest but Ray and Blair happy with champ

As soon as commentator Aaron White revealed Self Assured got away with the middle half of tonight’s Messenger in 65.4, trainer Ray Green knew Copy That was in trouble.

The sectional, which most maidens could beat in their sleep at Alexandra Park, signalled those back in the field had no chance.

And it proved insurmountable even for Copy That, on Self Assured’s back, as he came up three-quarters of a length short in the home stretch drag race.

“It was always going to be tricky to get past Self Assured after Nat walked them,” Green said. “There’s nothing between the two horses.”

Driver Blair Orange, who handed up to Self Assured 1800 metres from home, was equally as matter-of-fact.

“Anything that gets a soft run in front like that is hard to beat. You can’t grow wings and fly.”

Self Assured was flying as it was, Natalie Rasmussen only having to dial it up when Smiffy’s Terror roared round to press the issue 800 metres from home, reeling off a sizzling 53.9.

“I was happy with him,” Orange said of Copy That. “There was no speed in the middle part which didn’t help but he travelled great, kind, didn’t pull.

“And to his credit he was just winding up again at the finish and they ran home in 26.9.”

The final sectionals may have been electric but overall the time of 3:18.8 was average, all of 5.7 seconds slower than Majestic Cruiser’s clocked in winning the Messenger last year, albeit that was a New Zealand record.

That made the run of Australian Better Eclipse a bottler again, as he sat parked for the last 1200 metres and was just a neck behind Copy That at the finish.

Green said he couldn’t complain about the run of Copy That, only the reduced stake of $80,550 for the Group I race.

But he was pleased to see his little champ breach the $2 million mark in earnings, the $13,950 runners-up prize boosting his lifetime tally to $2,004,476.

Green said he would now just keep Copy That ticking over in preparation for the $180,000 Auckland Cup on May 26.

He was undecided whether the horse would contest the $45,000 Roy Purdon Memorial a week earlier, given the 2200 metre stand was hardly the best lead-up to the 3200 metre cup.

“But we don’t have to make any decisions yet, we’ve got three weeks for that.”