Kiwi looks set to be ‘That’ horse

By Michael Howard (HRV)

Victoria hasn’t been the happiest hunting ground for Copy That but that may all change in the 2023 TAB Summer of Glory, if last Saturday night’s dominant display is a window into what’s to come.

Ray Green’s outstanding dual New Zealand Trotting Cup winner was in complete control throughout the $150,000 PETstock Ballarat Pacing Cup, a peerless performance that’s seen him shorten into clear favourite for the February 4 Del-Re National A. G. Hunter Cup.

“I was hoping he’d bring his New Zealand form over,” his reinsman Blair Orange told TrotsVision. “As you know he just hasn’t been at his best the last couple of campaign overs here. He got a lovely lead early and controlled the race. Very happy with the performance.”

All going to plan has been a foreign concept for the Kiwi team in previous Victorian visits.

Late in 2021 he ran 11th at Cranbourne just a tick over a month after his first New Zealand Trotting Cup and then suffered a hairline fracture in his offside hind leg, which ended his 2022 Hunter Cup hopes.

Despite the misfortune, the team returned to Victoria last September when Copy That won one of his four starts – the Gammalite Free For All – but was shy of his absolute best when fourth in the Victoria Cup.

He then thrived when he returned home to defend his New Zealand Trotting Cup. Only weeks later Green suffered horrible injuries after being kicked by a filly, but the resilient team has returned with a point to prove and did exactly that last Saturday night.

Copy That launched from the gates with intent, crossing polemarker and Shepparton Cup winner Cranbourne while Major Meister worked to the breeze.
That would be their order until the 400-metre mark, at which point Major Meister was the first horse beaten, falling through the field while Triple Eight’s Greg Sugars, Mach Dan’s Mark Pitt and Honolua Bay’s David Moran found gaps to attack late.

Old Town Road and Torrid Saint also ran on well, but none would threaten the leader, who followed a 28.8-second third quarter with a 27.3-second run to the line to claim the Cup.

He did overrace a little bit today in front, he didn’t quite come back to me as well as I’d hoped, but we managed to punch an easy time of it mid-race, coasted up to the line good,” Orange said. “He’s one of those horses that if you don’t drive them out to the finish he will go to sleep on you, which he did again today.”

The win was great reward for Green’s team and the Butterworths, with the latter on hand at Bray Raceway to accept the prize.

They have all got much to look forward to in coming weeks, including Orange, who said he’d return for the February 4 A. G. Hunter Cup, which will be his first race start at Tabcorp Park Melton.