Merv keen on hometown scalps in Perth with New Zealand Cup hero Copy That

Copy That might have been sublime in his IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup win today but he still has a little to do before owner Merv Butterworth will declare him the best horse he’s ever had.

But, if Covid restrictions allow, it’s possible the clincher could come as soon as January when Copy That has been pencilled in for two feature races in Perth.

For Butterworth, who watched the big Addington race from his Melbourne home with co-owner wife Meg, it was his second win in the feature after Arden Rooney took the cup in 2015.

Merv and Meg Butterworth enjoying their first New Zealand Cup win with trainer-driver Kerryn Manning.“I’d rate them as equal,” Butterworth said. “The first one with Arden Rooney was fabulous because he was the first cup winner driven by a woman - Kerryn Manning.

“But, while Copy That is looking like he might end up the best, Arden Rooney won the biggest race in New Zealand and the biggest in Australia, the Hunter Cup, and he won $1.1 million.”

Copy That has now won 23 races, two more than the now retired Arden Rooney, and today’s purse of $330,000 took his lifetime tally to $954,672.

Butterworth, a West Australian himself, says he is keen on taking their money next year and will now start investigating in more depth a campaign there over summer.

The two races he is keen on are the A$300,000 Fremantle Cup on January 14 and the A$450,000 Perth Cup on January 28.

“He handles smaller tracks so Gloucester Park should be no trouble. Nothing is confirmed but he won’t go anywhere without Ray Green.”

That could prove to be a stumbling block as Perth’s strict Covid rules of 14-days quarantine before entry are not expected to be lifted until February or March.

Butterworth has numerous horses in training with Perth’s Ross Olivieri but his loyalty to Green is understandable considering the skill Lincoln Farms’ trainer has shown in educating and placing the horse in his 45 starts.

While Butterworth says it would have been nice to share the moment at Addington he’s never been one all that keen on going to the races.

“I go for the piss-up,” he said. “I’m just pleased that the result today was reward for last year’s stuff-up.”

With Copy That drawn wide out, and new, stricter stand start rules in force, the second favourite was never going to be a victim today, driver Blair Orange successfully getting the horse off to a safe getaway.

And once Butterworth saw Copy That get the front from Classie Brigade, in a perfectly scripted move, he knew his horse was a winner.

“This horse has never been beaten in front and everybody knows when Blair’s in front, he’s hard to beat.”

Driver Blair Orange with Copy That, his second New Zealand Cup winner after Cruz Bromac in 2019. PHOTO: Ajay Berry/Race Images.Orange later said his only nervous moment was soon after the start when he looked across and thought for a moment the favourite Self Assured might land in front of him.

“But I kept him running and we made the front quite easily.”

Watching the race from the barn at Lincoln Farms with his wife Debbie and co-workers, because of Auckland’s Covid border restrictions, Green could hardly believe what an easy trip Copy That was gifted.

“He got away with murder. Nobody challenged him. I was expecting company and it never arrived. He won easy and so he should have with the trip he got.

“It wasn’t unitil Mark and Natalie came round that he had to do any work.”

But by the time Natalie Rasmussen took South Coast Arden to the death and Purdon slotted Self Assured into the one-one, it was too late as Copy That reeled off a blistering last 800 in 54.4 and 400 in 27.5.

And Orange had the race well in control as he cruised to a two and a half length win over Self Assured, who chased in vain, with South Coast Arden third, a neck further back, the time a moderate 3:58.8.

Best of the rest were Steel The Show, Classie Brigade and Laver.

Green said with a run like today’s Copy That was “virtually unbeatable in this part of the world”.

“It’s hard to acquire horses like him, they don’t come along very often.”

“He’s the best I’ve had. We had King of Swing but sold him early in the piece. But this guy’s the whole package.

“Wins like this underline our whole existence. To win these races is what we all strive to do.”

Trainer Ray Green with Lincoln Farms’ boss John Street.Team effort

Green said getting Copy That to win the cup was a team effort, from the stable drivers, right down to the girls who clean the stalls and the guys who mow the paddocks, one of whom is Lincoln Farms’ owner John Street.

Green also paid tribute to the efforts of Copy That’s northern drivers, Maurice McKendry, who put the finishing touches to the horse at Pukekohe, and also his former driver David Butcher “who schooled him through a stage when he wasn’t that great gaited.”

Copy That, a $7000 weanling buy by Debbie Green, tested the patience of everyone in the early days and Green admits there were plenty of times when he would have taken $10,000 to get the horse off his hands.

But through all the frustrating times, when he repeatedly wriggled out of his bridle and took off down the lane to the furthest part of the farm, or galloped in the same spot in his workouts, Green kept the faith.

And it wasn’t until he had ironed out most of the horse’s issues that they agreed to sell the horse to Butterworth, his purchase price basically paying off their mortgage.

“We sold him and we’ve still got him, so it’s been a good ride,” Green said.