By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk
Ray Green is hoping the summer continues as it started.
On Friday night the South Auckland trainer recorded a winning double at Alexandra Park, including a quinella in the Gr.3 Sims Pacific Metals – Money For Metal Summer Cup (2200m).
Green headed into the race full of confidence with star pacer Copy That, but it was stablemate Tommy Lincoln who took home the spoils after a gun drive by David Butcher.
The son of American Ideal began well from the front row to take an early lead where Butcher was able to dictate the pace throughout.
Tommy Lincoln kicked clear of his rivals at the 200m mark and recorded a 1-3/4 length victory over race favourite Copy That, with a further neck back to Check In in third.
Green was pleased with the quinella and Tommy Lincolns winning efforts.
“I thought he went super,” Green said. “Once he led so easily and got away with a bit of murder in front, I thought he was going to be hard to roll.”
It was Copy That’s first run back since his well-publicised run in the Gr.1 New Zealand Cup (3200m) last month, and while Green expected him to win, he was still buoyed by his runner-up effort on Friday night.
“I thought Copy That would be the one to beat and he has gone huge, I am really happy with him,” he said.
“They will now head to the Franklin Cup next week and then possibly the Auckland Cup on the 31st.”
Earlier in the night Group One-winning three-year-old American Dealer returned to winning form in the Auckland Co-op Taxis 300 3000 Northern 3YO Stakes Mobile Pace (2200m).
The Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen-trained First Class broke at the start, making it a four-horse race, and it was all over once American Dealer assumed the lead early in the piece.
“That was a gimme really,” Green said.
American Dealer has continued to impress Green and he is looking forward to the remainder of his three-year-old term.
“He is a classy little horse,” Green said. “He has never gone bad. He is just the consummate professional.
“There are some very nice races for him over the next three or four months and we will target most of them.
“He is only little, but he is strong, so we will keep targeting those races until he tells us he has had enough.”