New driver for Copy That - Nathan Jack engaged to pilot NZ Cup champ in Victoria

In a coup for the connections of star pacer Copy That, owner Merv Butterworth tonight engaged top Victorian horseman Nathan Jack to drive the horse throughout his upcoming Victorian campaign.

Butterworth confirmed the horse, who resumes at Auckland on Thursday night, would be flown to Melbourne on August 31.

Jack will begin his partnership with the New Zealand Cup winner in the A$100,000 Melton Classic on September 10 and has committed to driving the horse in each of his runs in the state, with his main mission the A$300,000 Victoria Cup on October 8.

Butterworth said he and trainer Ray Green would be guided by the horse’s performances and condition in then deciding whether to return home for the New Zealand Cup on November 8 or remain in Victoria for the Interdomion series which starts on November 26.

“I’ve employed Nathan many times - I took him to Tasmania to drive in the cup there once - and he’s a very good driver,” Butterworth said.

“I’m very pleased he’s agreed to drive him for the whole campaign in Victoria, including the Interdoms if he contests that series.”

Copy That is regularly driven in New Zealand by Maurice McKendry when he races in the north and Blair Orange when he trips to the South Island.

On his successful Queensland campaign of 2021 he was expertly handled by expat Kiwi Anthony Butt and in his sole start at Cranbourne last December he was driven by Chris Svanosio who also stabled the horse.

Jack has been hitting the headlines recently as stand-in driver for champion mare Ladies In Red and has long been a top reinsman, regularly featuring in the top half dozen drivers in the state.

His career stalled in September, 2018, when he was outed after a police race fixing probe into a race at Cobram in 2015.

But last November, in an appeal to the County Court, he, stablehand Lisa Bartley and fellow driver Mark Pitt were judged to have no case to answer and all charges were dismissed.