By Michael Guerin
Trainer Ray Green says he may have to manufacture a searching workout for Copy That ahead of next week’s Taylor Mile at Alexandra Park.
And he says the superstar four-year-old needs it after a lacklustre performance at Pukekohe last Saturday.
Copy That hasn’t raced since winning at Alexandra Park on March 5 and in a two-horse workout on the weekend couldn’t hold off three-year-old filly Darling Me.
Copy That led but even with driver Maurice McKendry urging him in the straight Darling Me ran past him on a rain-soaked track to win, pacing her last 400m in 27 seconds.
“Maurice said he was just mucking around and wasn’t interested,” says Green matter-of-factly.
“It was one of those days, wet and not nice and we couldn’t find the sort of horses we needed to trial against.
“So he just took it all a bit casual. He will need a better hitout this weekend before he goes to the mile (Taylor Mile) next week because he is a bit fatter than I would like him to be.”
Green says he could have open class stablemate Tommy Lincoln in the same workout this weekend and hopefully that will liven Copy That up before his clash with Amazing Dream and an improving bunch of four-year-olds next week.
After the Mile, Copy That will head to the Messenger and then the Jewels and he is still very likely to head to Queensland for their winter campaign, with Green for company if he can get vaccinated. “I want the jab before I go, at my age,” says Green.
“But if I get that I will be going with him for their new race and we will take American Dealer as well.
“He will go for the Queensland Derby and then stay over there, I think with either Nathan Purdon or Kevin Pizzuto.”
Copy That is the $2.10 favourite for the Taylor Mile just inside Amazing Dream at $2.25.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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