Racing: One chance to see Copy That before Cup three-peat bid

Copy That. Photo / Supplied

Northern harness fans will get at least one chance to see millionaire pacer Copy That before he attempts to join one of New Zealand racing’s elite clubs.

Copy That has won the last two New Zealand Cups and will attempt to become only the fourth pacer in the race’s 119-year history to win it for the third time on November 14.

Only Indianapolis, False Step and Terror To Love have done it before.

The $750,000 Addington classic is the sole major target for Copy That in the second half of 2023, and trainer Ray Green believes he will need to head south early to give him his best chance of a three-peat.

“He needs to be racing horses such as Self Assured and Akuta down there in the bigger lead-up races to maximise his fitness so that is the plan,” says Green.

“But he could start here [Alexandra Park] in the Spring Cup before he heads down.”

Green will also have The Big Lebowski for the Spring Cup as he joins Copy That on the Cup path, and with a few other new northern open-class pacers having arrived on the scene Alexandra Park regulars can be confident of seeing at least some superstars pre-New Zealand Cup.

One of those to emerge is Nicholas Cage and he will also head to the Spring Cup on September 22 before his form dictates whether he heads to Addington.

Nicholas Cage emerged from lower grade three-year-old racing in December to earn a spot in The $1m Race by April, claiming some big scalps along the way through the autumn, and trainers Andrew and Lyn Neal say he is a different horse after his winter spell.

“He has really strengthened,” says Andrew Neal.

“He showed us earlier this year how fast he is but he will definitely be stronger so I don’t think 3200m will bother him. So we are aiming that way until he tells us otherwise.”

The Neals have more immediate goals on their home track at Cambridge tonight where another vastly improved pacer in Claude (R7, No 8) gets the services of Crystal Hackett.

Hackett has driven more winners than any other New Zealand-based driver in the last six weeks, even though some have had more than twice as many drives.

That has seen the young reinswoman surge to 14th on the overall national premiership, with fellow junior driver Carter Dalgety the only driver above her with a better strike rate.

“Crystal has driven this horse to win two of his last three and I think the key to him is not to use him early,” explains Neal.

“So barrier eight doesn’t bother us from that point of view but of course you always need a bit of luck when you are going back at the start, if that happens.”

The stable also has speedy trotter Winner’s Time in race four and Andrew says the gelding’s work on Monday suggests he will produce a big race.

“He worked over 3200m and trotted home [last 400m] in under 29 seconds which is a big run for a trotter on our track.”