Merv and Meg Butterworth celebrate Cyclone U Bolt’s second Jewels win at Ashburton in 2013.
Covid keeps Merv and Meg away but they’re putting the champagne on ice for Copy That
By Barry Lichter • 2 June 2021
Even before today’s announcement that Victoria’s lockdown would be extended by seven days, owner Merv Butterworth had decided Copy That would have to run at Sunday’s Jewels without him.
Butterworth, 78, and his wife Meg last night abandoned plans to fly from Melbourne to New Zealand in the face of daily increases in the number of Covid-19 cases in the community.
“There are so many infectious now we thought mixing with hundreds of people at the airport and on the plane wasn’t a good idea.
“We decided we were better off continuing to isolate and get in a couple of buckets of ice and champagne bottles.”
The Covid-19 lockdown in Victoria was scheduled to end on Friday but with another six cases notified today, 60 cases in all and 350 exposure sites, it has now been extended until midnight on Thursday, June 10.
Merv Butterworth has enjoyed a great run with Copy That who has now won 17 races for him.Butterworth will have to be content with watching the Cambridge Jewels meeting from his home, with no visitors, but he has had a few bets to keep him interested.
“He’s at excellent odds. I’m not worried about the draw. It would have been nice if we’d drawn one, two, three or four but he’s the best horse in the race.
“I got on at $3.40, then had to divide my second bet by four to get on again and they wouldn’t let me have a third go. You’d think it was their own money.”
The TAB bookies listed the early betting on Copy That as $2000 at $3.40 and $500 at $3.40, the horse’s odds now tightened to $3.20.
Butterworth says he’s also taken a string of multis, as he can see a majority of the favourites winning on Sunday.
The Butterworths are no stranger to success on Jewels day, scored back-to-back wins at Cambridge in 2014 with King Denny and Supersonic Miss, and will be chasing their sixth win on Sunday.
He and his wife Meg have enjoyed success with:
- Cyclone U Bolt, twice. He took the 2012 Three-Year-Old Ruby at Cambridge and 2013 Four-Year-Old Ruby at Ashburton.
- King Denny, who also won trotting jewels twice - the Three-Year-Old Ruby at Cambridge in 2014 and Four-Year-Old Ruby at Ashburton in 2015 and
- Supersonic Miss, who won the 2014 Two-Year-Old Diamond at Cambridge.
Their placings at the Jewels date back to the inaugural event in 2007 and very first race when Lucy Thundercloud ran third as rank outsider, paying $33, behind $81 upsetter GTH Aveross.
Their other placings include:
* Nokomai who ran third to Adore Me in the Three-Year-Old Diamond at Ashburton in 2013.
* Golden Goddess, who finished second in the Three-Year-Old Diamond at Cambridge in 2016 and
* President Roydon who ran a neck second to Enghein in the Three-Year-Old Ruby at Ashburton in 2017.
Few owners have enjoyed as much success at the Jewels as the Butterworths, who raced all except Supersonic Miss on their own.
But prolific winners Phil and Glenys Kennard have won 13 Jewels in syndicates, Trevor Casey has enjoyed nine wins and the late Charlie Roberts six.
More news in Harness
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No way to sugar coat it - it’s tricky to predict what Sugar Ray will do on Friday night
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Major Achievement
5.19pm
“It’s his first race for a while and he hasn’t been setting the world on fire at the workouts. But he’s been racing better animals and this isn’t a stellar bunch. He’s a chance if things go his way. I’ve given Mathew Salaivao the drive.”
Race 1: Commander Lincoln
5.19pm
“He’s an average horse but the last time he raced here in amateur company he all but won. He’ll need luck from the second row but, while I couldn’t label him, he’s a runner’s chance.”
Race 5: Onyx Shard
6.59pm
“She got a bit sick for a while with a virus and I had to back off her. She seems over that now but I’m picking she’ll need a race. This will be like a glorified trial for her.”
Race 8: My Copy
8.14pm
“He came to the end of it so I gave him a little freshen-up and he seems in good shape again. It will be interesting to see how he goes fresh - he may need a race but he’ll appreciate the step-down in class. I’m running him here so he doesn’t come up against any bear cats first-up.”
Race 9: Lincoln Cove
8.47pm
“Hopefully he’s getting better but you’ve just got to take him on trust. He has ability but the desire has been sadly lacking. Zac will have to sit quietly on him as he broke when given only one tap with the stick last time. The small field will suit him as he won’t be too far off them. If he doesn’t make any mistakes, he’ll give them a fright.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 3: Leo Lincoln
6.43pm
“Maurice said he would have finished a lot closer last time than sixth (fourth or even third) had he not locked wheels at the 100. That took all his momentum away. He’s been holding his form well and he gets out well enough to use the inside draw. He’s a chance to get some of the money.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.39pm
“He did have marks on his boot after his last run and trying a spreader on him has helped. But he’s a real baby. He has real ability but he’s still developing mentally and physically and we’re still finding our way with him.”
Race 5: Lincoln Lou
7.39pm
“He’s racing well but he’ll find it tough from the outside draw.”
Race 6: Debbie Lincoln
8.07pm
“I can’t see her improving enough to give the Purdon/Phelan trio a fright. She can go (fast) enough but still has a lot to learn. The main thing for her is getting round safely. She’s put two in a row now so hopefully she’ll start improving.”
Race 10: Lincoln La Moose
9.59pm
“He had an excuse last time - he got wiped out on the first corner and that was the end of his race. I like him, he’s a nice horse, just not quite as experienced as Frisco Bay.”
Race 10: Frisco Bay
9.59pm
“I lean towards Frisky as the better chance of our two. You can’t fault what he did the other night at Cambridge, and he seems to be on the improve. He’s more reliable than Lincoln La Moose.”
Mark Dux’s comments
Saturday night at Albion Park
Race 6: Captain Nemo
9.40pm NZ time
“I rate him a good top three chance. I’m really happy with the horse. It’s a decent drop in grade for him and I think maybe we roll the dice, go forward, and take our chances. As long as he doesn’t have to burn stupidly off the gate, if he can find the top, they’ll know he’s in the race.”
