Copy That "bright and raring to go"

By Adam Hamilton

Copy That’s Victoria Cup raid is officially back on track.

A relieved trainer Ray Green said the reigning NZ Cup winner was given the all-clear after being scoped.

It ends a week of uncertainty since Copy That suffered a minor “bleed” when fifth in last Saturday night’s Group 2 Smoken Up Sprint at Melton.

Confirmation Copy That will line-up tomorrow night also adds some class and X-factor to the Cup, especially from what looks a good trailing draw (gate eight, inside the back row). It’s likely he will settle three back on the pegs.

“It hasn’t been ideal to have to wait so because, being honest, I haven’t been able to fault the horse all week,” Green said.

“I thought the scope would be ok, but it’s a relief to get through it and now be able to fully focus on the Cup.

“He’s been fantastic all week. He seems so bright and raring to go.”

Green is pleased stewards ordered the scope last week, but said had it not been done, he would not have known Copy That had any issue from the race.

“It’s not as if he didn't run well. Maybe he didn’t quite finish off that last 50m as strongly as we’d have liked, or at least that’s what Nathan (Jack, driver) felt,” he said.

“I wouldn’t have given it a second thought if they didn’t do the scope. I’d have been none the wiser, especially with how great he’s been since the run.

“It was a very minor bleed and if they scoped every horse which raced, I think they’d find something similar in a lot of horses.

“We were never going to do anything detrimental to the horse, which is why we waited a few days and got this scope done to be sure.

“He’s fine. We just turn the page on last week and push-ahead now. His win two starts back was excellent and I see nothing in him to say he won’t be right at his top this week. We wouldn’t be running him otherwise.”

Amazingly, Copy That has drifted to as high as $31 in some Aussie markets for the Cup.

Expensive Ego heads the betting at $2.70 from Better Eclipse $3.50 and the well-backed pair Honolua Bay ($9 into $6) and Rock N Roll Doo ($7.50 into $6).

Rock N Roll Doo only has to please trainer-driver Mick Stanley to push ahead of plans for a New Zealand Cup raid.