By Jordan Gerrans
Having travelled the world training and learning about standardbred horses, racing stalwart Ray Green is a product of his experiences.
The Kiwi native has seen more of the globe than most would dream of – chasing his love of pacers and trotters around the world.
“You meet lots of people from all walks of life, you rub shoulders with the rich and famous and with ordinary people,” Green reflected on his journey.
From New Zealand as a youngster, it was over to the United Kingdom for six years, heading over on a cargo ship with his pacers as a naive young man, he declares.
It was then back home for a little bit, over to Australia to pick fruit as a backpacker, back over to England and following that, Green took in the surrounds of racing in Florida in the USA and up to the Meadowlands in New Jersey, as well.
Throw in stops in Italy, Scandinavia and Germany, the industry veteran now finds himself staying in a Runaway Bay apartment overlooking Surfers Paradise while preparing a star pacer, Copy That, at Woongoolba.
The New Zealander is in the Sunshine State chasing TAB Constellations Carnival riches, which he has done plenty of already this month, with an eye on even more this week – the grand final – Group 1 TAB Blacks A Fake.
One stop on his extensive journey does not stand out as more important than the others, Green says, detailing that he took little bits of learnings from every stop to become the 75-year-old horseman he is to this day.
“You try everything,” Green said.
“If you see someone being successful doing something, you give it a go.
“At the end of the day, you end up with what you are comfortable with and the way you do it is something that has evolved over time.
“All the places are equally important to me, you learn a little bit as you are travelling around, of course in Europe it is mainly trotters, not as any pacers there, and vice versa in America.
“There is a lot to pick up as you go along, learn as you go along.
“The way I do things now, I am really comfortable with that, I do not change it – it works.”
Why would you change it with the way Green has been going in recent weeks in Queensland?
Copy That has last Saturday night’s Group 1 Sunshine Sprint in his pocket already, on top a Listed Wondais Mate earlier in the carnival, while stalemates American Dealer and Tommy Lincoln are also Albion Park recent winners.
Four-year-old pacer Copy That is right in Blacks A Fake contention now but just a few short weeks ago, there were doubts if he could be a factor across the ditch.
He did not fire a shot in the Group 1 Harness Jewels at Cambridge at the start of June but the veteran trainer says the son of American Ideal has been a different horse in Australia.
“The start before he came here, it was the worst race he has ever gone,” Green said.
“I was a little bit worried about how he would perform but he has put that one to bed and we are pretty happy with where he is at the moment.
“I couldn’t fault where he was at post that race and hence here, we are, since he has been here – he has thrived.
“It was inexplicable really; he has turned the corner.”