Lincoln Farms welcomes back Copy That and latest reports positive about The Big Lebowski

Champion pacer Copy That will rejoin trainer Ray Green at Lincoln Farms on Saturday, with no plans to tilt at a third New Zealand Trotting Cup win in November.

But all going well, Green says the seven-year-old could be set for the Auckland Cup, newly repositioned to New Years Eve at Alexandra Park.

It’s 11 months since Copy That last raced when wear and tear was detected in his knee.

Sparing no expense, owner Merv Butterworth flew the horse to Victoria for an MRI scan at the Ballarat Veterinary Clinic where bone and cartilage fragments were removed.

The horse returned to New Zealand in May and since then has been doing rehab on a water treadmill at Margaret Park in Matangi.

Green says Copy That will be taken along quietly and have regular vet monitoring but he is hopeful the $2 million winner will make a return to the track late in the year for Merv and Meg Butterworth.

Green’s report on the progress of his other sidelined big gun, The Big Lebowski, is also very positive after a long stint on the water treadmill.

“He came back in good shape and has been in work for two months. He’s training down really well and is only a week or two off trialling.

“He’s nominated for the New Zealand Cup and I’m hopeful he’ll make it. He’s on the right track but who knows how far he’ll take us?”

Green said the giant seven-year-old was holding up really well with no sign of the tendon injury which stopped him 14 months ago.

“He had a hind tendon bow, which is very rare, so the thought is it was a traumatic injury - he must have kicked out at something.”

The Big Lebowski announced himself on the northern stage with this 11-length annihilation at the Park.The Big Lebowski, brought north from Southland in May, 2023, demolished his rivals by 11 lengths in his Auckland debut, clocking 2:38.4 for the 2200 metres, in one of the most spectacular wins seen on the course in years.

The performance earned him a tilt at the Auckland Cup a week later when, last turning for home, he powered home to finish only 3.5 lengths from winner Akuta, full of running and hard held behind a wall of horses.

His injury wrecked Green’s plans to target the New Zealand Cup but, a year later, he’s on the same path.

Two races are carded at Alexandra Park for northern cup aspirants - the $40,000 Spring Cup (2200m) on September 20 and the $40,000 Holmes DG (2700m) on October 4, both races for 65 and faster rated pacers with a maximum back mark of 20 metres.

As the winner of only six races and rated 71 he will enjoy a start on his cup rivals.