Copping Points too speedy for rivals in Regional Championship Heat to book place in Ascot final

Copping Points booked his place in the 2021 TABtouch Regional Championship Final at Ascot after a brilliant second-up win at Percy Spencer Racecourse on Sunday. The four-year-old gelding brought up the second leg of a winning double for leading local trainer Steve Wolfe and jockey Natasha Faithfull at the first meeting held at Albany Racing Club this season. After landing in front, Copping Points sneaked away approaching the home corner and gave a strong kick in the straight before holding on to score by a half-length in the $40,000 Regional Championship Heat: The Road To Ascot (1230m). Copping Points, who was racing second up, burst out of the gates and was never headed to hold out Little Punga and the fast-finishing Starauthoress. Wolfe said he was pleased with his lightly raced galloper, which jumped $11 on TABtouch and recorded his second win in seven career starts. “It’s nice to win one of those type of races, they are a great initiative,” Wolfe said. “He had a bit of fitness on his side and is well-bred, so I was confident he could run well. “We head into the final with a bit of confidence now. “He won’t be far off them and the family is competitive so with any luck we can go close. “Tash has been a big part of our team and is a great little girl and rider and she is well underrated. “It’s nice to team up with her and see her back riding at her best.” The $100,000 regional championship final will be run at Ascot on November 27. Lacevinsky was heavily backed in race five on the program to chalk up Wolfe’s first winner of the season and put two consecutive wins together. The Wolfe galloper was backed into $2.40 on TABtouch and after settling on the rails, Peter Knuckey scooted up the inside in the straight to reel in stablemate Sir Snugalot and win by 11/2 lengths. “Lacevinsky is a very nice and promising horse,” Wolfe said. “He has put two wins together now so hopefully he can continue his form and can go on with it.” Wolfe’s star sprinter Red Can Man had his first start back in WA in close to a year in the Group 3 $150,000 Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m) at Ascot on Saturday and ran a bold fourth, beaten by 1.1 lengths. It was a successful day without winning for Wolfe in Perth, with Classic Rogue and Bragwell both coming third in their respective races, while Island Charm trained by Roy Rogers ran second in the opening race. The Rogers-trained Hoi An ran fifth in the Group 3 $200,000 WA Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) while Luke’s Gold also prepared by Rogers finished at the rear in the Group 3 $150,000 RJ Peters Stakes (1500m).