Michael Howard
Copy That’s tilt at Melton success came up trumps in the TAB Gammalite Free For All on a night when Pryde’s EasiFeed Victoria Cup intrigue only intensified.
Trainer Ray Green received reward for taking the New Zealand Cup champ across the Tasman on Saturday night, with Copy That having stalked Bondi Lockdown and Lochinvar Art and then pounced to win.
Conversely two of his leading Grand Circuit rivals faded and for Lochinvar Art in particular the consequences will be significant.
The Hunter Cup champion tired for a second consecutive race, on this occasion fading to sixth and 19 metres off the leader.
A post-race vets exam found he suffered a grade four exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), which has resulted in him being stood down for 28 days, effectively ruling him out of the $300,000 Pryde’s EasiFeed Victoria Cup on October 8.
By contrast, for Copy That it was a case of things getting back on track, recovering from his last start eighth – when he blew up after leading – with a clinical four-metre win ahead of a fast-finishing Crime Writer.
“It just goes to show what great constitution he’s got to bounce back,” Nathan Jack told TrotsVision.
While last week Jack and Copy That attempted to make their own luck with a blistering early pace that would ultimately see the five-year-old tire a long way from home, tonight fortune fell in their lap.
Lochinvar Art, the race favourite, broke stride when hustling from the gate, fading to the back of the field and clearing a path for Bondi Lockdown to shoot to the top in a brisk enough 43.6-second lead time.
With a tick over a mile still to run driver Leigh Sutton improved from the rear of the field to sit Lochinvar Art outside the leader, with Jack jumping on his back to give Copy That an armchair ride into the race.
Lochinvar Art’s iron will saw him claw over Bondi Lockdown through a 28.2 second quarter and 27.5 third quarter, but Jack pounced at the last turn, advancing three wide and clearing out to have the race well in hand at the 100-metre mark.
He won by four metres from Crime Writer, who impressed in a race best 28.6-second last quarter, while Bettor Be The Bomb boxed on well for third.
“He gives you a feel like the really good ones do,” Jack said of Copy That. “I was lucky enough to drive Im Themightyquinn, but that was a different sort of feel. Quinny was just a fast horse, where this horse feels a lot stronger. But he feels exceptionally good.”
The reinsman said it was great to be able to reward trainer Ray Green and owner Merv Butterworth with a Victorian success after things initially hadn’t gone to plan.
