Kiwi superstar Copy That’s Hunter Cup raid is over before it really got started.

Owner Merv Butterworth confirmed a paddock mishap on Sunday had left the NZ Cup hero with a hairline fracture in the splint bone in his off-side hind leg.

“We hoped it was just superficial, but we took him to the Ballarat Veterinary Clinic today and found out it was more,” he said.

“The bottom line is he needs two to three weeks rest and then we can reassess things.

“So his Melbourne campaign is over and it’s likely he’ll go for spell.”

Despite the obvious disappointment of the setback, Butterworth said the upside was the nature of the injury.

“It could’ve been a lot worse. It’s a clean break, his tendons are fine.”

Copy That was here to target the $500,000 Group 1 Hunter Cup on February 5.

Plans were to return home for the Auckland Cup, a proposed new “slot” race at Cambridge in April/May.

Both races now look off the table.

The setback capped a horror trip to Victoria, which opened with his career-worst run when a distant last in the Group 2 Cranbourne Cup last Saturday week.

* Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor for News Corp writing on harness racing