Just two weeks after Copy That gave him the greatest victory of his training career Ray Green is in intensive care at an Auckland hospital after being kicked by a horse, with his wife Deb saying “he is not out of the woods yet”.
But the remarkable 77-year-old keeps asking for his phone so he can keep tabs on his Pukekohe stable.
The enormously popular trainer was on top of the harness racing world at Addington on November 8 after Copy That defended his New Zealand Cup title, the second win meaning so much more because Green could be there after being trapped in Auckland by COVID-19 restrictions last season.
But that dream turned to a nightmare on Monday morning when he was kicked by a filly in his stabling area, with his injuries far more serious than initially thought.
“At the time he (Ray) didn’t think it was that big a deal,” Deb said.
“But his blood pressure kept falling and he was getting cold, which we now know might have been because of internal bleeding.”
Green was rushed to hospital where he endured a seven-hour operation that saw part of his bowel and colon removed.
“They had to do that because they were worried the damaged parts would restrict blood flow to his organs,” she said.
“So they operated and have told us he still isn’t out of the woods because of the chance of infection and also his age.
“He has a bag attached now, which he might have to have for three or even six months, and it looks like he will be in the ICU for a while, maybe another week.
“But he wants his phone. He wants to talk to the staff at the stable and keep up with everything. That is just him.”
Green is the harness trainer for huge dual-code ownership group Lincoln Farms and, after an unusual career path that has seen him also train in harness racing backwaters like Wales and England, he has a back catalogue of stories to match his impressive list of feature-race wins.
While Deb says her husband’s health is the only real priority for her at the moment the Lincoln Farms’ horses are in good hands and Ray’s accident won’t affect Copy That’s summer aspirations.
“The horses will be well looked after, with Andrew Drake heading the team like he did last year when Ray was trapped in Australia because of the COVID-19 border closures.
“The boys and girls there will look after the team and a horse like Copy That will still be able to go to Australia for the races Ray and Merv (Butterworth, owner) want to target like the Hunter Cup and the Miracle Mile.
“After being trapped in Australia because of the snap border closure last year Ray wasn’t keen to be away for as long this summer anyway, so he was already talking about one of the staff travelling with the horse next time anyway and them swapping back and forwards.
“He even let other people drive Copy That in work until last week, which he never usually does, so they could prepare to take him to Aussie next year.
“But all that is in the future. I am waiting to be able to go in and see him (in the ICU) and we just hope for good news today and over the next week.”
