Happy Sunrise Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 Disappointing news for the organisers of the Race to lose their local star. https://www.racenet.com.au/news/kiwi-star-copy-that-to-head-for-a-spell-after-suffering-injury-20211227 Kiwi superstar Copy That’s Hunter Cup raid is over before it really got started. Owner Merv Butterworth confirmed a paddock mishap on Sunday had left the NZ Cup hero with a hairline fracture in the splint bone in his offside hind leg. “We hoped it was just superficial, but we took him to the Ballarat Veterinary Clinic today and found out it was more,” he said. “The bottom line is he needs two to three weeks rest and then we can reassess things. “So his Melbourne campaign is over and it’s likely he’ll go for spell.” Despite the obvious disappointment of the setback, Butterworth said the upside was the nature of the injury. “It could’ve been a lot worse. It’s a clean break, his tendons are fine.” Copy That was here to target the $500,000 Group 1 Hunter Cup on February 5. Plans were to return home for the Auckland Cup, a proposed new “slot” race at Cambridge in April/May. Both races now look off the table. The setback capped a horror trip to Victoria, which opened with his career-worst run when a distant last in the Group 2 Cranbourne Cup last Saturday week. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karrotsishere Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 (edited) Ok last last post just as you gave Copy That update. Thats sad. Figured as much, after reading Lincoln Farms site & it said he couldn't put foot down Like Green & Copy That, they are 2 lil cuties. They at least had a success story re the Cup. Like that A Hamilton dude. Think he reads this forum. Which is fine. Notice when we update the horses racing in Oz thread, then soon after an update same thing is done on HRNZ hehe by him same day like an hour or 2 later. All good tho 😄 Edited December 27, 2021 by karrotsishere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addington Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 Bloody tragic. What next for connections Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightning Blue Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 45 minutes ago, Addington said: Bloody tragic. What next for connections They'll be ok . Merv Butterworth has raced plenty of good horses over the years. (won NZ Cup with Arden Rooney as well as Copy That) and has seen highs and lows. He knows Copy That should get back to racing at some stage . He has won near a $1,000,000 already so going nicely. Here's a great Story for you guys !! Merv was a Stable-hand in Perth in the 1960's and CARDIGAN BAY had a terrible injury in training , while competing at the 1962 Perth Interdominion. (winning first 2 heats too). But tragically the accident severely damaged Cardy's Pelvis and putting him down was high on the Plan List. Luckily the trainer Ted Grieg decided to put up a series of slings in Cardys stall , and stable-hand Merv Butterworth fed and watered Cardy for a month while he hung there.!!! Great effort by all the Aussies to save Cardy , and esp Well done Merv !!! Cardigan Bay ,NZ's best ever, (and Merv too) getting great results for years afterwards . creating harness racing history. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted December 27, 2021 Author Share Posted December 27, 2021 1 hour ago, Addington said: Bloody tragic. What next for connections An unfair start in next year's Cup? (but very disappointing for all involved) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karrotsishere Posted December 29, 2021 Share Posted December 29, 2021 On 12/27/2021 at 4:41 PM, karrotsishere said: Like Green & Copy That, they are 2 lil cuties. Latest update on the 2 lil cuties - Green & Copy That. Copy That out for next 7 months. Green stranded in Aus til end Feb early March. Ray Green with Copy That, both on the easy list in Australia. Copy That coping well in confinement but what’s stranded Ray to do for two months? By Barry Lichter • 28 December 2021 Copy That, lame with a fractured splint bone, has handled the first day of three weeks’ box rest like a pro.But Green is far more stressed, joining thousands of fellow Kiwis stranded overseas with New Zealand’s borders closed by Covid restrictions.“It looks like I’m stuck here at least until the end of February, when MIQ changes, unless I can get a spot in the next lottery on January 6. “But I’m not worried about how the horse will handle it. He’s a cool little guy who is great with vets and farriers. He’s not a difficult horse to deal with and all he has to do now is chill in his box and let nature take its course.” Green says the injury to Copy That’s off hind leg, suffered when he struck out at a rail in his paddock, will be X-rayed again in three weeks before any decision is made on where he will continue his recovery. “A blind man could see how lame he is and he’s on medication for pain and inflammation. He’ll probably be out of work for four months, but the good news is it’s not like this is a wear and tear problem or an injury he’s done during a race. “And the bone, while fractured, is still perfectly aligned so the prognosis for healing is good. I had one horse who had a broken splint which had completely separated.” Copy That, right, with Simply Sam at Lincoln Farms before his departure for Australia. PHOTO: Trish Dunell.Green says there was always a risk that a lump could develop if too much calcium was laid down while the bone was knitting. “But it won’t stop him from being a racehorse. This is just a horrible inconvenience.” X-rays revealed the hairline fracture to be roughly in the middle of the splint bone, just under his hock. “If it had been in the bottom third you could have taken it out and that would be that, but this is a bit too high to do that.” Green says there was no way to predict how quickly the fracture would heal but owner Merv Butterworth was keen to send the horse to Ballarat when he can travel to be looked after by a woman who had successfully convalesced a number of other horses for him. “Merv might want to leave him here for a while - we won’t be taking any chances with the horse. Obviously there’s no chance he’ll race for the rest of the season (the next seven months). He can’t have just a few weeks off and go back into work. “Merv has been loyal to us - and we’ve done a good job for him - so hopefully he’ll come back to Lincoln Farms to fully recover.” Green says while the summer campaign in Victoria had quickly gone pear shaped, they just had to “cop it on the chin and move on. “We’ve had a good run with the horse - until now he’s never taken a lame step or had any other soundness issues - and, who knows, it might be a blessing in disguise. “He might come back better than ever. Those top races he’ll miss like the Auckland Cup (in May) will still be there the next year, it’s not like they’re a oncer like the derby.” Copy That’s career record stands at 24 wins from 46 starts for $965,797 in stakes, all but two of those wins for Merv and Meg Butterworth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karrotsishere Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 The latest update on Copy Thats road to recovery & Green stuck in Oz. He jokingly says he needs to join a motorcyle gang to get deported haha. https://www.lincolnfarms.co.nz/stories/copy-that-in-good-hands-but-both-he-and-ray-could-be-cooped-up-for-another-two-months/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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