Merv recalls childhood heroes after racecaller rallies crowd to ‘start to cheer for the champ’

Hearing commentator Aaron White urge the big Alexandra Park crowd to “start to cheer for the champ” as Copy That surged into contention in tonight’s Thames Cup brought back fond memories for owner Merv Butterworth.

Watching the race from Melbourne, Merv and Meg Butterworth delighted in seeing their star attack the line with his trademark gusto to score his 20th win at Alexandra Park and 30th in all.

White’s description of a packed house at the Park reminded Merv Butterworth of his own childhood in Western Australia.

“I remember when I was 14 or 15 going to Gloucester Park when the champions were racing and I think most people were the same. You don’t go to a football match when losers are playing.

“I used to make a point of going to watch champions like Pure Steel, Kolworth, Lucky Ben and Pacing Lawn. But Harness Racing New Zealand reckons you don’t need champions, they want even fields to improve the betting.”

It’s too soon to know just how the betting stacked up on Copy That’s race tonight but there were plenty of punters prepared to back second favourite Hey Bartender to beat Copy That whose price ballooned out to $1.80 on the tote.

And after James Stormont’s charge made a swift beginning and set up a sizeable early lead on Copy That, the stage was set for an intriguing contest.

That is, until David Butcher took off on Kango with 1500 metres to run and Orange hopped on to his back for a dream one-one ride home.

‘It worked out super’

“It worked out super,” Orange said afterwards. “James tried to take it out of our hands, it was a good front-running drive by him, but I had a lot of faith in my horse.”

Orange said he never really worried about when to peel round Kango to start his chase after the leader.

“I knew Kango would keep going even when he got tired. I was happy enough to stay put and wait to see how far he took me before I got going.”

When Orange did move just before the home turn, the response from the little horse was electric.

And at the line he had one and a quarter lengths to spare over Hey Bartender with a head to Last Tango In Heaven, his time of 2:42.9 all of three seconds outside the national record many thought he’d have to run to win.

The arrows show the black separation between the tyre and the rim on Copy That’s right wheel as he returns to scale.Copy That returned to scale pulling a damaged tyre after laying in down the home straight and crowding Last Tango In Heaven, who eventually struck his wheel just after the finishing post.

Copy That’s tyre punctured and detached from the rim of the wheel.

Orange was later warned by the stewards to make a greater effort in future to prevent his horse from shifting ground.

But the incident did nothing to dull Orange’s enjoyment of the Group III win.

“He’s such a cool horse,”Orange said. “His manners are spot on.”

Stable foreman Andrew Drake was thrilled with the result, and deservedly so, as he’s been doing all the work on Copy That while trainer Ray Green on the easy list, recovering from stomach surgery after being kicked.

“It’s great to get the monkey off my back, winning a big race like this.”

Stable foreman Andrew Drake takes a call from a wellwisher immediately after the race.Drake admitted to a few concerns before the race when the normally vocal Copy That mixed in a few more antics than usual in the stable.

“Tonight was the most I’ve seen him wound up. I was a bit worried to be honest.

“But he’s such a genuine horse. You wouldn’t come across one like him again.”

Green’s wife Debbie, scraping down Copy That afterwards, acknowledged the horse, small in stature, didn’t fit the mould of your archetypal champion.

“But just look at how handsome he is.”

Green noted, just like Ray before him, that Drake never let anyone else drive Copy That in work.

You have only to listen to Orange reaching for superlatives to describe Copy That to understand why.

“It’s just great being able to drive a horse like him.”

Orange’s report to Butterworth was simple and to the point.

“On the home turn I could see it was (All over) Red Rover and Blair said he just jogged it.”

Butterworth was only half joking when he signed off questioning whether HRNZ would attempt to change the programmed conditions of Copy That’s next race, the $50,000 Lincoln Farms Franklin Cup on December 31.

That race, run over 2700 metres, has a maximum back mark of 30 metres, like tonight’s feature, making it a virtual gift for the champ, given he has another 500 metres to get into the race.