Maurice set for bonus drives on Copy That after the Pukekohe pony delivers again

Top driver Maurice McKendry is expected to retain the drive behind eftpos machine Copy That when he treks south for his next assignments in a few weeks.

McKendry teamed with Lincoln Farms’ star at Alexandra Park tonight for his 17th win, telling trainer Ray Green the horse bagged the $45,600 City Of Auckland Free-for-all quite easily despite having to work hard to find the front.

Under normal circumstances McKendry would have vacated the seat behind Copy That when he trekked to the South Island where owner Merv Butterworth favours using the country’s leading driver Blair Orange.

But Orange is under suspension for failing an alcohol test before the start of the races at Motukarara on January 24 and cannot drive again until after April 5.

Copy That’s next target is two days before that, April 3, the Group I $100,000 Breckon Farms/All Stars Racing Easter Cup (3200m) at Addington.

And Green says it’s likely he’ll give the horse a lead-up race a week earlier at Addington in the Group III $30,000 Teltrac Free-for-all (mobile 1980m) on March 26.

“We’ll be having a look at that race in the next few days - we’ve got a bit of time up our sleeve - but I’d say he’ll run. It would be a big ask to have a month in between runs before a 3200 metre race.”

Merv Butterworth … more relieved than excited.Green admitted that both he and Butterworth were more relieved than excited after Copy That’s latest win, the eighth time McKendry has saluted on the horse.

“A lot is expected of the horse now and even though he stood over them on paper, you wonder if for some weird reason he won’t deliver. So it was more a relief when he got the job done.”

Copy That was forced to work overtime early, when caught three wide round the first bend, but McKendry pressed forward to find the front by the end of the back straight.

“He had to pay his dues to get the lead but he got away with murder in the middle stages and it was very clinical after that,” Green said.

The expected home stretch challenge from second favourite Christianshavtime, who was left parked, was short lived and it was left to the improving Cambridge pacer Kango to run Copy That to one and a quarter lengths.

Copy That’s winning time was only 2:40.3, but he zipped home in 56.5 and 26.8.

The win took Copy That’s career tally to $358,629 from 33 starts.