First brekkie, then stable welcomes Ray back and Copy That signals he’s nearly ready too

Breakfast in bed sounds mandatory when you’ve just come home from hospital after a life-saving operation.

On the menu this morning were eggs, black pudding, avocado and a cup of tea.

But instead of being waited on, Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green was the one actually spoiling his wife Debbie with the morning treat.

Incredibly, less than two weeks after being kicked in the stomach by a young filly and undergoing a seven-hour operation, Green is eating and mobile again.

Stable workers Monika Ranger, left, and Brianna Thomas, welcome Ray Green back.And while he was discharged from Middlemore Hospital only yesterday afternoon, Green was back at the stables this morning, to a warm welcome, to watch his champion pacer Copy That limber up for racing at Auckland on Friday night.

“I get tired pretty quickly but I’m feeling better all the time,” said Green driving himself around in one of the stable’s golf carts.

Green watched several workout heats, but none as intently as the opener where Copy That gave two rivals Chimichurri and Melanion a 50 metre start over 2500 metres.

Though a length behind Chimichurri at the line, both Green and driver Maurice McKendry were happy with Copy That’s effort.

“Maurice said he needed it - he was flat out close to home - but he clocked him at 3:04 for his last 2400 metres, home in 26 flat. That’s a pretty good run after catching up 50 metres.

“I thought he looked a bit pretty today - he has got away on us a bit but it doesn’t take much at this time of the year with all the new grass.”

Ray Green gets up close for a look at Copy That, third in the running.The 2500 metres took 3:14.9, a mile rate of 2:05.4, Cimichurri clocked over his last 800 metres in 56.3.

Copy That’s heart rate after being washed down was typically low at 70 and Green said the run would help fit him for his assignments this month.

“He needed a decent hitout today and next Friday’s race will tighten him up further.”

Copy That, who has not raced since winning back-to-back New Zealand Trotting Cups on November 8, is due to contest a mobile mile at Alexandra Park on Friday night followed by the Group III $50,000 Thames Summer Cup (2200m) on December 16 and the Group II $50,000 Lincoln Farms’ Franklin Cup (2700m) on New Year’s Eve.

Copy horses everywhere

Copy That was just the first of three “Copy” horses competing today, Debbie Green’s big Sweet Lou two-year-old Copy This having his first workout.

Maurice McKendry checks his stopwatch when reporting Copy That’s sectional times to Ray Green.A half brother to 13-race winner Rupert Of Lincoln, whom she sold to Copy That’s owners Merv and Meg Butterworth, the big gelding has been “a bit of a problem child”, according to Green.

“First he chipped a hock, then a fetlock, then he got too colty and because he’s a rig, he needed an operation to geld him.”

Copy This was initially very green behind the gate for driver Andre Poutama in the learners’ heat today but, once underway, led his only rival, Vincent two-year-old Convincing, to score by half a length in a sedate mile rate of 2:11.5, home in 61.3 and 29.1.

“He hasn’t shown us much speed yet but Rupert Of Lincoln was the same early on,” Green said.

Copy That’s younger half-brother My Copy, who has won two of his last four starts, found the tempo a little hot in his heat, trailing home fourth behind stablemates Frankie Major and Trinity Star, with Darling Me third.

Copy This staves off Convincing at the finish of his first workout.Frankie Major (Monika Ranger), who sprinted from the trail behind Trinity Star in the run home, ran the 2050 metres in 2:37.1, his last 800 in 56.8 and 400 in 26.8.

Trinity Star, a recent dual winner at Manawatu for the Butterworths, was beaten only a length and could tackle the $100,000 Queen Of Hearts on December 16 if she performs well next week.

Winner in waiting

American Ideal two-year-old Ideal Kingdom looked to have come back a stronger colt from a spell when he led all the way in his heat, won in 2:35.4, a mile rate of 2:01.9.

Tested by Zachary Butcher over his final 800 metres in 57.1, Ideal Kingdom beat two rivals by three and a half lengths.

“He’s a good, honest horse who should win a race pretty quickly,” Green said.

Zachary Butcher puts his foot down on Ideal Kingdom on the home turn.Major Achievement was less co-operative, trailing home last of three in his heat.

Debbie Green might not have had to cook breakfast this morning but when the work was done she shouted sandwiches, pies and cakes for the workers, after winning the previous night with Superfast Ninja, whom she races with stable foreman Andrew Drake, her trainer.

The seven-year-old had not won for six months but timed her form reversal perfectly, just a couple of hours after Ray’s return home.

It was her ninth win and took her earnings to more than $100,000.