Copy That undone by pork belly but Ray has two months before the cup to find those ribs

Looking at Copy That’s porky belly as he dried the horse off, trainer Ray Green revealed his first-up defeat at Auckland came as no real surprise.

“His best races have been when you’ve been able to see a hint of all his ribs. He’s as fat as a pig at the moment.”

Collared a head in the final few strides by Hooray Henry, Copy That continued a run of fresh-up defeats, despite being allowed to dawdle through the second quarter of the mile in 34.5 seconds.

But though the clock showed a pedestrian 1:58.7, neither Green nor driver Maurice McKendry were disappointed in the run, his first for three and a half months.

McKendry said it was only over the last few metres that Copy That ran out of condition.

“We buzzed out of the gate and even though we got it easy in the mid stages, we were buzzing again down the back.”

Copy That is gifted a 34.5 second quarter, with Hooray Henry on his back.Attacked hard in the lead by Magic Four, Copy That sped through the third quarter in 27.5, before running 27.1 home for a lightning 54.6 last half.

“He was pacing beautifully and pulled up well, hardly blowing at all.”

Green said he was “pretty happy” with the run.

“I knew he’d be vulnerable first-up and I wasn’t confident of winning. I didn’t want him 100% at this stage of his cup prep - there’s still two months to go.

“And that horse (Hooray Henry) was hard fit after racing through the winter.”

Green said the result would have little bearing on Copy That’s immediate programme and he was leaving his options open.

Way forward cloudy

“The way the fields are up here we can’t make a hard and fast plan.”

Ideally, the horse could stay in the north for next Friday’s $25,000 Spring Cup (2200m stand) and the $25,000 The Holmes DG (2700m stand) on October 6.

“But if they can’t guarantee that the Spring Cup will go ahead on the 22nd we might just load up and head south.”

Copy That could then tackle the Group II $60,000 Canterbury Classic (2600m stand) at Addington on September 29, a race earmarked for the return of fellow cup favourites Akuta and Self Assured.

After that things get a little more tricky, Green not keen on the Group II $60,000 Ashburton Flying Stakes (2400m stand) on October 23.

“I don’t like that race. It’s a tough race so close to the big one. I’ve seen so many fall over by using that race as a last hitout.”

Kaikoura Cup day not for Copy That.Green said he was certainly not entertaining the Group II $60,000 Kaikoura Cup (2400m stand) on October 30 as an option.

A new race programmed at Addington on Friday, November 3, five days before the traditional cup trial, and 11 days before the $650,000 IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup was an option, with R80 to R120 horses eligible.

Green remains relaxed about the path forward.

“He’s had two completely different preparations in the last two years and still won the cup both times.”

In 2021, Copy That had only two lead-up runs and, when his final race at Auckland was canned, Green put the winning polish on the champ with a virtual solo trial, running the fastest time recorded at Pukekohe.

Last year, after he fractured a splint bone and was out for eight months, Green put the miles into him with one race at home, four in Australia in September and October, and another two back home, finishing with a New Zealand record win from a 70 metre handicap at Cambridge.