COPEY AND HIS DIET

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 147, 7 June 1932, Page 2

COPEY AND HIS DIET

STOUT FOR BREAKFAST DISCRIMINATING RACEHORSE. A CONSISTENT PERFORMER. Auckland, June 6. Racehorses as well as human beings have lads about food, varying according to temperament and constitution. Trainers like to get the robust and contented type that does well in travelling, lor, with the delicate sort, usually a shy feeder, great care has to be exercised. Copey, winner of'the Great Northern Steeplechase at El'lerslie on Saturday, is particularly exacting, and exercises a pretty discrimination, not only as to what he will eat, but as to when he will eat (writes “Archer”), Practically all ho has for breakfast is a large bottle of stout. \\ hile Copey eats very little during the day he makes up for it at night, when he tucks into his oats with zest. “Really, he is just like an old /morepork,” said his owner end trainer, Air J. Fryer, of Hawera. The remark applies only to Copey’s nocturnal eating habits; it cannot be said that he goes to sleep during the day, as his fine victory on Saturday convincingly proved. UNFOUNDED MISGIVINGS. At one stage, after arriving at Ellerslie about ten days ago, Copey took even less feed than usual during the day, and this did not escape the notice of other trainers located at the same stables. It caused them to have misgivings about his chances, for usually when a horse is not feeling well bis form falls below his best standard. “I knew there was nothing to worry over when, as usual at night, Copey fairly gobbled up his feed,” Mr Fryei ud “He always has the bottle of tout before he goes out to work on the track in the mornings, so as to give him a good start for the day.’’ Copey does very little galloping in his preparation for a meeting. Only once has he ever been sent along at top speed in training and then it was only over half a mile. Usually he does a lot of trotting and cantering on the roads and also strong pacework on the track. During his present trip to Eltorslie he has not worked on the track every morning, but instead has been taken once or twice to One Tree Hili for walking and trotting exercise. RECORD OF CONSISTENCY. Bred by Air Arthur Copestake, of Ohinewai, Copey is a seven-year-old gelding by Marble Arch from a St. Amans mare. The fact that he is a half-brother to Archibald, who won tho Brighton Hurdles at Ellerslie in 1926 and ran second in the Great Northern Hurdles in 1927, induced Air Fryer to lease him. He did a season’s hunting with him and in June, 1930, he regis tered his first placed performance in a race, running second to Son o’ Aline in the Egmont-AVanganui Hunt Cup Steeplechase. Cojrey has a remarkable record for consistency since then. In the 1930-31 season he started in 22 races, winning two, the Onehunga Steeplechase at Ellerslie and the Toko Hurdles at Stratford, and being placed in 13 others, including third in the Winter Steeplechase at Ellerslie a year ago, second in the Waikato and Hamilton Steeplechases and third in the Welling ton Steeplechase. At Ricoarton last August, after running fourth in the Grand National Steeplechase on the first day and second in the Beaufort Steeplechase on the second day. he won the Lincoln Steeplechase on the third day.

OWNER’S COLOURS NOT CARRIED. At Hawera a month ago Copey ran second to Alake Up in the Egmont Steeplechase and a week later won the Wanganui Steeplechase. His Great Northern success constitutes a wellmerited triumph for a very genuine stayer.

Mr Fryer’s only disappointment on Saturday was that Copey was unable to carry his own colours to victory. Tho jockey, 1. Tucker, left them at home at Hawera and the oversight was not realised until too late. It cost Air Fryer a fine of £l, and instead of the French grey jacket, royal blue collar, cuffs and cap, the rider wore a white jacket, with red sleeves, royal blue band and cap, the cotours of Air AV. Casey, of Alatamata. Tucker had a very comfortable ride. He said Copey jumped beautifully, not rapping a single fence and, as he was going so wel], he felt confident throughout. Really, the horse ran his own race and when he took the lead from Make Up on the hill the last time it was of his own accord and not because of any extra urging on the part of his lider

POSSIBLE TRIP TO MELBOURNE Copey is engaged in the Victoria Grand National Steeplechase, to be run at Flemington, Afelbourne, on July 9, in which his weight is 9.6. Air Fryer has already arranged to teave for Australia with Peter Jackson and Gaine Carrington after the Wellington meeting in July and it is possible that bo will now make an earlier start to enable Copey to keep his engagement. Mr Fryer has had an exceptionally good season and is fourth on the list nf winning trainers for New Zealand. He has been fortunate in having two classic winners, Peter Jackson and Gaine Carrington, each being one of the best of his respective age. The former’s mission in Australia will be long-distance races, such as the Alel 1 - bourne Cup, and the latter will try to win the Derbies. Copey is the second Great Northern Steeplechase winner trained by Air Fryer. Nineteen years ago he won with Bercola, owned by Air J. R. L. Stanford.