Ray: Copy That’s explosive finish should have the Aussies quaking in their boots

Copy That is in the top four fancies for the Victoria Cup after his explosive finish at Auckland on Thursday night.

In his first start since fracturing a splint bone in Australia last December, Copy That had both seasoned driver Maurice McKendry and Lincoln Farms trainer Ray Green reaching for superlatives after he had to race four wide for the final 600 metres and still thundered home to get within a neck of winner Old Town Road.

Bookmakers in Australia now have the New Zealand Cup winner very safe in their futures markets for the October 8 feature, one leading outfit rating him the $8 third equal fancy with Lochinvar Art behind only Spirit Of St Louis ($5) and Bondi Lockdown ($6).

Green, only partly tongue-in-cheek, said “the Aussies would be quaking in their boots” after seeing the run. With Copy That so wide while the eventual winner was racking up closing sectionals of 56.1 and 27.1 on the markers on a slushy track, Green said the effort showed just how much stronger the horse is this time in.

“It’s a shame he got humped four wide round the turn or he’d have won. I couldn’t fault anything about his effort, I couldn’t be happier.

“He’s pulled up so well too and that was his first start for eight months so he’ll only get better. There aren’t many as good as him.”

All smiles in the camp as driver Maurice McKendry and trainer Ray Green ungear Copy That last night.McKendry echoed Green’s belief that this would be Copy That’s best season.

“He seems so much stronger now, even in training he’s doing it so easily.

“Even though he was four wide I was just sitting on him, as he was travelling so well, and in the straight he just went whoosh.”

McKendry reported Copy That was beautifully settled at the 2200 metre starting point and stepped brilliantly from his 30 metre mark, much better than his No. 1 rival who galloped away from 10m and settled just one spot in front of him.

“I was nearly going to follow Zac (Butcher) when he went round on Old Town Road (1150 metres from home), but it was my horse’s first run back.”

In the wet and blustery conditions McKendry chose instead to make one later run on the horse and was rapidly overhauling Old Town Road at the finish, a terrific feat given the overall time was not fast at 2:45.3, a mile rate of 2:00.8.

“Geez, he’s gone good Ray,” McKendry repeated several times while helping to ungear the horse.

With no racing at Auckland next week and the next meeting on September 1, Copy That will not race again in New Zealand before he flies to Melbourne on August 31.

He is scheduled to have his first outing in the A$100,000 Melton Classic (mobile 1720m) on September 10 where a win would see him break through the $1 million earnings barrier. He sits on $968,575.