He’s one risky animal but the day Copy That behaves himself we’ll see something special

It’s hard enough tipping a horse drawn the outside of the front line at Auckland, let alone one who struggles to get round without breaking.

Throw in the fact unpredictable two-year-old Copy That is taking on older horses in the fourth race on Friday night and common sense tells you to tread warily.

But you only have to watch how easily the American Ideal colt dispatched his rivals at the Pukekohe workouts last Saturday to warm to him.

And when you check out the sectionals he ran when sixth at Auckland last week and hear what trainer Ray Green has to say about him, suddenly you find yourself reaching into your pocket for a tenner.

Copy That was sent out fourth favourite when resuming last week on the strength of a smart trial win but was in trouble only 300 metres after the start when he paced roughly and broke.

By the time Copy That settled, he’d dropped off the back of the bunch by at least eight lengths. Driver James Stormont caught the pack with a lap to run but when the pace went on 500 metres out, instead of asking him to run, he was having to nurse the horse round the bend.

Copy That’s sectional figures, highlighted in bold, tell the story of his last start.It wasn’t until they straightened that Copy That sprinted and he did that with some gusto, taking equal time honours of 27.8 for the last quarter with winner Sole Ambition and finishing only four lengths behind him.

But when you consider where Copy That came from, his run was a real eye-opener. His sectional times were light years ahead of the rest of the field - his last mile in 1:59.7 and half in 56.9, compared with the winner’s 2:02.2 and 57.7.

“He’s certainly got some speed,’’ says Green. “The race was all over by the time he got going last week and James never pulled the plugs.

“Clearly he’s the best horse in the field on ability. But there are no guarantees he’ll behave.’’

But Green made a number of little changes to Copy That’s gear when he ran the horse at the Pukekohe workouts last Saturday.

“We pulled his hopples up a bit and put two head poles and two gaiting straps on to stop him from wandering.’’

Getting the unpredictable Copy That geared up right has proved a challenge for trainer Ray Green.Wife Debbie, who owns the colt, also bandaged his hind legs in case he’d been hitting behind.

The result was nothing less than stunning as Copy That sped straight to the lead from three on the gate and never put a foot wrong for driver Zachary Butcher, negotiating the Lincoln Farms corner twice without even looking like putting in his usual fancy steps.

And when Butcher pulled the plugs at the top of the home straight, Copy That accelerated to a three and a half length win, clocking 57.3 for his last 800 metres and 26.7 for the 400.

With Butcher opting to drive race favourite Infatuation on Friday night, Green has engaged talented horseman Matty White who made a spectacular comeback last week at Cambridge, after a two and a half year break, driving two winners.

White, who spent seven and a half years driving and training in Perth before handling stallions and yearlings at Darley in New South Wales for two and a half years, is back working with Mike Berger at Cambridge.

“He’s a good driver and he’s keen,’’ says Green. “If he can drive him properly, instead of having to nurse the horse all the time, and he does things right, he’ll be hard to beat.’’

Forget the colours, that’s actually Zachary Butcher putting Billy Lincoln through his paces.Green says he isn’t expecting too much from stablemates Tommy Lincoln and Billy Lincoln who have both drawn badly in the same race.

“They’re both training and trialling really well but they’re chancy. It’s Billy’s first race, and first time away from Pukekohe.’’

Until six weeks ago, Green says Billy Lincoln was “extremely average.’’

“He’s always been a big, lazy horse but he’s progressively got better and better, improving with every run.

“Tommy was also a big, gangly, weak thing but he’s strengthened up a lot this time in.’’

The formline of Governor’s Bay (race 8) has tailed off in recent starts but Green says he continues to train well.

Green is prepared to forgive the horse his last run when he had to do a lot of early work when parked, before being used up to lead at the bell.

Governor’s Bay was under heavy pressure 400 metres out and dropped away to finish 1.7.5 lengths from the winner Benson Boys in last place.

But that was in a strong rating 57 to 73 race and on Friday as a rating 58 horse he gets in well in a far easier rating 50 to 59 race for junior drivers with Trent Lethaby taking the reins.

Green has scratched The Bull Pen from the final race after getting some vet work done on the horse today.

The Bull Pen had been tying up and was slightly disappointing when run down to second last week after being gifted very sedate sectionals in the running.