Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Far Too Easy – the horse who cheated death twice – is finally on top of country racing as The Kosciuszko champion for 2024.

Trainer David McColm (Pic: Trackside)

The six-year-old, second in 2022 and third last year, was able to sit on the back of dual champ Front Page in the 1200m sprint and the two singled out before Far Too Easy gained the ascendency with Tanglewood in third.

Trainer David McColm thought he’d lost Far Too Easy earlier this year through a bad bout of colitis but there he was at Randwick in perfect health and the Murwillumbah trainer couldn’t have been more proud.

“My dream has come true and not just for us, for this horse, he's been such a special animal to all of us and he deserves his name in the Kosciuszko record books,” McColm said

“We've been through a lot with this horse, he's had his ups and downs. This year he got very ill and I never ever thought we'd be back for another Kosciuszko tilt.

“He was very ill, he was. It was dire for about three days.

“But he's come through the day and he's just, he's done what he does and that is he tries.”

Aside from his health battle, Far Too Easy also had to battle the floods that engulfed Murwillumbah two years ago.

Months back McColm said his best chance to win The Kosciuszko would be to not be conceding such a big start as he’d been forced to in his two previous attempts.

His confidence soared on two fronts – when Craig Williams wanted to fly to the Gold Coast to ride him in a trial and when the gelding drew barrier one.

From the jump Craig Williams parked him right on Front Page’s back and it proved the difference.

“All credit to Craig; he jumped on a plane, he flew up from Melbourne, you know, a lot of jockeys don't do that,’’ he said.

“He took the initiative, he wanted to be a part of it and he wanted to see what he was like in the barriers and it paid dividends.

“I thought we could run him down and look, Front Page is such an amazing horse in his own right.

“We've met him three times now and he's beaten us twice. But when we were close and I knew that coming, I knew that last 50 or 100 (metres) he would be there.

There was never any doubt that Far Too Easy would be selected for the $2 million race and the lucky slot holders were a syndicate from the Tattersall’s Hotel in Inverell.

Far Too Easy wins The Kosciuszko

A year earlier the group was lucky enough to win a slot and selected Talbragar, who finished unplaced.

McColm said he’ll be making the trip down to Inverell to celebrate with the slot winners soon.

“It has been arranged, I think we're going to block the main street off and we’ll have a few beers out there,’’ McColm said.

Check out the replays and results from TAB Everest Day at Royal Randwick