Que sera sera - Ray turns the page on Copy That’s Cup run and focuses on Queensland

Driver Blair Orange knew as soon as he hit the lead early in the home straight that Copy That wasn’t going to win tonight’s $170,550 Auckland Cup.

“I asked him to get on the bridle turning in and he didn’t lift like he normally does,” said Orange after Copy That peaked late to finish two lengths fourth to Akuta.

It was a scenario which came as no surprise to Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green who was worried even before the horses lined up behind the tapes that his charge might be a run short.

And when Copy That started rearing and prancing, and made his slowest beginning in ages, with only stablemate The Big Lebowski behind him early, Green knew the $2 million earner was facing an uphill battle.

Orange had no option but to stay back for the first half of the race as “they went hammer and tongs” up front, favourite Self Assured having to bail out of a bid to head leader Kango.

“But they really back it off at the mile and that was my chance to get round and handy.”

Kango leads a lap from home with Copy That parked.On a slow 32.3 quarter, Orange quickly reined Copy That around the field to sit parked 1200 metres from home.

“If we’d sat back we’d have had to give Akuta and the others too much of a start,” Orange said.

“He felt good in the running but was just a bit short (of fitness) and it told in the end.”

Green said all things considered he was pretty happy with the run.

“He hadn’t raced for a month - I couldn’t even trial him (because of the change in with-holding times). Training is one thing but I would like to have had him harder. That was his achilles heel tonight. He was healthy as hell but there’s no substitute for race fitness.”

Copy That still fought like the champion he is, losing third right on the post to Smiffy’s Terror but still just a neck and half a head from runner-up Self Assured.

The overall time was a sedate 4:00.5, with the closing 800 in 57.1 and 400 in 28.2, sectionals well within Copy That’s playbook.

“Que sera sera. We’ll just move on. We’re still on target for Queensland. We might even go a bit earlier to get a race or two into him before the big ones.”

Copy That beats King Of Swing and Rockin Marty in the 2021 Sunshine Sprint at Albion Park. PHOTO: Dan Costello.Copy That has a smorgasbord of features available to him in Brisbane throughout July including the:

• A$30,160 Wondai’s Mate (1660m) on July 1
• A$53,040 Mr Feelgood (2138m) on July 8
• A$200,000 Sunshine Sprint (1660m) which he won in 2021, on July 15 and
• A$400,000 Blacks A Fake Queensland Championship (2680m) on July 22.

Green wasn’t surprised to find Copy That’s heart rate after the race was 88, a tad higher than when he’s at peak fitness, compared with the excellent 79 reading of new stablemate The Big Lebowski.

Champion reinsman Tony Herlihy reported The Big Lebowski spoiled his chances turning for home when he hung very badly, preventing him from improving wider on the track.

“He went down and ended up hard on Copy That’s back at the line.”

Though he beat only one home in eighth spot, the giant pacer was just 3.5 lengths from the winner.

“Maybe we should be taking him to Brisbane too,” Green said.

The way Akuta won, albeit from a perfect trip, it’s fair to say Green is happy that co-trainer Mark Purdon has already ruled out a Brisbane campaign for the four-year-old.

Akuta had not raced wince winning the Taylor Mile on April 21, then missed last week’s Roy Purdon Memorial with a foot abscess.