Racing: Numbers against Copy That

Copy That won't be put under pressure in the lead-up to defending the NZ Cup. Photo / HRNZ

Trainer Ray Green is happy to set Copy That a mission impossible at Alexandra Park tomorrow night for the bigger goal of defending his New Zealand Cup title.

Copy That will start off a 55m back mark in the 2200m feature pace and while he only has to give Hot And Treacherous, the other established open-class pacer in the race, a 15m start, the numbers don't look good.

Quality pacers such as Raven Banner, Taipo and Last Tango In Heaven (20m) get 35m from Copy That and are capable of pacing 2:43 for the standing start 2200m. If any of the trio do that Copy That would have to pace 2:40 to win, coming around horses.

Green knows that is unlikely but says this run is about getting Copy That hitting the line hard after a strange Victorian campaign.

"He has travelled home well and needs the run so we might as well start here rather than go to the trials against nothing, but he won't be over-driven," says Green.

Copy That is usually driven in his North Island races by Maurice McKendry but he will stick with his potential NZ Cup drive Hot And Treacherous and that means Blair Orange, who usually only drives Copy That in the South Island, will travel north to partner him.

The Pukekohe trainer admits he still has lingering concerns about the recent case of Copy That having blood in his airways after a Melbourne race.

"He wasn't a big deal and a lot of horses get blood in the airways after strenuous exercise but we are treating him to make sure it doesn't happen again. So I am not worried about it but in the back of my mind I know it happened and we need to monitor it."

Just how hard those off the front line to 20m mark go could determine not only whether Copy That can win but also what chance Hot And Treacherous has from 40m.

He will have improved a lot with his fresh-up second but could end up racing the clock as well as his rivals.

Bolt For Brilliance will miss the main trot after trainer-driver Tony Herlihy decided to skip a big handicap and head instead to Kaikoura on Monday week for his final lead-up to the Dominion on November 11.

But Herlihy should still get a decent victory with Seve in the Sires' Stakes head as he thinks the two-year-old will be improved by his recent placings behind the unbeaten Merlin.