Only in Aussie - upstart roo tries to outrun Copy That in final fast work before Ballarat
By Barry Lichter • 23 December 2021
Copy That was almost as startled as trainer Ray Green when a roo raced him for 300 metres of his fast work yesterday.
Having his final strong hitout before Sunday’s Sokyola Sprint at Ballarat, Copy That didn’t know quite what to think of his surprise galloping pacemaker.
“When the kangaroo popped out in front of him, near the outside of the track, you could feel him thinking ‘what the hell is that’ and he pricked his ears and backed off a bit,” Green said.
“It was only a small kangaroo but man, could it go. We were bowling along a bit.
“It would have started out 10 metres in front of us but we were racing it down.”
It’s not the first time Green has seen a roo while working Copy That.
“When we were in Brisbane a really big one appeared but didn’t actually run onto the track. Apparently in Bendigo they have to chase 20 or 30 of them off the track before they work.”
Despite the interruption, Green said Copy That felt superb round the near 1000 metre training track at Romsey, which has a small hill in it.
While Green maintains Copy That just couldn’t cope with such a hard trip first-up at Cranbourne he says the theory that he might just need a few days to acclimatise also had some merit. The horse took a week to start thriving after his arrival in Brisbane in the early winter.
Green says it’s hard for driver Chris Svanosio to make a plan for Sunday given he has drawn three on the second row over the 1710 metres.
“He’ll just have to follow them out and see where he ends up then try to get home over the top of them.
“But I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t go a really good race the way he feels now.”
Green says Copy That will have no trouble round the left-handed Ballarat track which is 1000 metres with a 248 metre home straight.
Copy That races at 6.28pm NZ time at Ballarat on Sunday.
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Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.40pm
“She’s going as good as she can. She’s got a bit of speed but isn’t that strong. But she should get a nice trip here and be right in the frame. She’ll win one soon.”
Race 1: Jessie Lincoln
5.40pm
“She’s a big filly who has taken time to mature but she has plenty of ability. She’s a good pacer and I expect her to improve on her resuming run and go well.”
Race 1: Lincoln Dealer
5.40pm
“He’s a bit of a handful, too keen for his own good sometimes, so I’ll be happy to see him just get round and do most things right. He’s no superstar but he’s coming to it slowly but surely. We’re throwing him in the deep end here and he has a terrible draw but we have to start somewhere.”
Race 4: Lincoln Maree
7.04pm
“She’s as tough as old boots and tries like hell and you can’t ask for much more than that. She just lacks a bit of speed but has a good attitude. She usually finds one or two better than her but will make them work for it anyway.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Prince Lincoln
4.56pm
“He’ll be improved for the last run, has trialled and is working well, and has a better draw (the ace) this time. You just have to be a bit wary because he’s let us down a couple of times.”
Race 3: Angelic Copy
5.56pm
“She had a tie-up issue but seems much better now. It’s her first run for a while so she’ll definitely need the run. I’m just hoping she gets around all right and pulls up OK.”
Race 3: Colonel Lincoln
5.56pm
“He’s a very capable horse, if injury prone, and he’s been back in work for three or four months. You never say never but, realistically, he’s just starting off so you can’t expect him to be at his peak.”
Race 5: Sammy Lincoln
6.55pm
“I know I said it two starts back but if there’s such a thing as a certainty, he’s it. Even from seven on the gate, everything says he’s the one to beat. If he hadn’t gone a bit goofy up the home straight last time in the Sires’ Stakes Semi at Cambridge, he’d have easily run third. This is a huge drop in class.”
Race 7: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.58pm
“I expect he’ll be a bit sharper this time. He’s looking well and feeling good but I still think another run under his belt will be beneficial for him. He’s not one to leap out of the ground but he is capable of taking the race.”
