By Adam Hamilton
Anthony Butt doesn’t like finishing second.
While the champion driver was full of praise for Copy That’s effort last week, he wants to go one better with the superstar Kiwi pacer in Saturday night’s $100,000 Group 1 Sunshine Sprint (1660m) at Albion Park.
But that means having to dethrone King Of Swing, Australia’s best pacer.
Copy That has a decided barrier draw advantage over King Of Swing this week, so much so he’s a clear favourite. The Aussie TAB has Copy That $2 and King Of Swing $2.40.
Copy That will start from gate five, while King Of Swing will have to overcome outside the back row (gate 11).
“It’s a big help. Copy That’s draw is good, not great, but I’d much rather have it than where King Of Swing is,” Butt said.
“He’s a great horse King Of Swing, but he has been able to find the front in so many of races and he won’t be able to this week.
“I have to use our draw to keep as much space between King Of Swing and my horse as possible in the run. You know Luke (McCarthy) won’t be sitting back, he’ll want King Of Swing in the action.
“It’ll be interesting what happens at the start. Turn It Up is so quick out he might be able to cross them all and he’s been taking a trail of late.”
The last time King Of Swing didn’t find the front in a feature race, he finished third behind Lochinvar Art in the Hunter Cup back on February 6 at Melton.
Against that is the sprint trip of 1660m. King Of Swing is unbeaten in nine sprint starts for Team McCarthy, four of them at Group 1 level and two in Miracle Miles.
However, Butt and trainer Ray Green think Copy That’s brilliance lends him to being best suited in sprint races as well.
His record says as much, Copy That’s past eight starts over less than 2000m have netted five wins and two seconds.
Butt’s big night also includes the drive last week’s The Rising Sun winner Amazing Dream when she backs-up as a $1.60 favourite against the “girls” in the inaugural $100,000 Golden Girl (1660m).
“She’s a great drive to pick, but, even though is dropping back to race her own sex, it’s not a matter of just turning up and winning. When you look back through her form she’s won big races against the boys like the Northern Derby, Auckland Cup and last week, but she’s been beaten a few times when you’d expect to have beaten the girls,” he said.
“I think the stablemate, Spellbound, will be a big danger if she’s back to her best. You’d think Amazing Dream will be in front and she’ll be camped on her back.”
