Cranbourne Cup's the one that I want, says Copy That owner

This is no “warm-up” for New Zealand’s top pacer Copy That.

The recent New Zealand Cup winner arrived in Victoria late Wednesday for a two-month raid, which launches in Saturday night’s $75,000 Group 2 Decron Cranbourne Pacing Cup (2555m).

It would be easy, almost natural, to assume it is something of a lead-up race as Copy That heads towards Group 1 features like the Ballarat and A. G. Hunter Cups.

But owner Merv Butterworth scoffed at it and explained why.

“I sponsor the Cranbourne Cup, have done for a long, long time, and desperately want to win it,” he said.

“Ray (Green, trainer) has the horse wound-up. He’s ready to go this week.”

Butterworth pointed to Copy That’s narrow but impressive recent Auckland win and, even more so, a sparkling workout at Pukekohe in NZ’s North Island last Saturday.

“He flew last Saturday. He came off 30 metres and beat a very good horse in Bad To The Bone hard-held,” he said. “Maurice (McKendry, driver) said he went terrific. He ran home (his last 400m) in 26sec."

Copy That will need to be primed because a tricky barrier and some seriously strong opposition will make Saturday night’s race a big challenge.

Champion former Kiwi mare Amazing Dream, who beat Copy That twice during the big Queensland Winter Carnival, has drawn better in gate three. While Victoria’s most gifted pacer, the injury-plagued General Dodge, is also in the field. He will need luck from a wide draw (gate seven).

“It’s a strong race all right, but you’d expect it for a Group 2 with good prizemoney,” Butterworth said.

“It’ll be good to meet Amazing Dream again. Yes, she beat us twice in Queensland, but she had much better runs both times. There’s nothing between us, but she’s got a better draw again.

“Amazing Dream has been through some hard racing though and I wonder how many times she can bounce back?”

Amazing Dream will be driven by Anthony Butt, who ironically drove Copy That when beaten both times by Amazing Dream during the Queensland Winter.

Butterworth has thrown his faith and support behind under-utilised Victorian driver Chris Svanosio to partner Copy That at Cranbourne.

“Copy That’s staying at Chris’s stables and I like him as a driver. He never seems to make mistakes, even in the big races he’s been in,” Butterworth said.

Butt looms as a key player at Cranbourne given he will also take the reins of star Kiwi trotter Majestic Man in the Group 3 Hygain Bruce Skeggs Memorial Cranbourne Trotters’ Cup.

Majestic Man is on the quick back-up for a close second in the Inter Dominion trotting final at Menangle last Saturday night. This will be his fifth run in the past three weeks.

“He’s come through it (the Inter Dominion series) better than we expected,” Butt said. “This just looks a good race for him.”

Majestic Man will start from outside the back row, but it’s only a nine-horse field and he boasts a huge class edge over his rivals.

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