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By Greg Prichard

Tamworth trainer Cody Morgan has been prolific when it comes to getting horses into The Kosciuszko, but he’s still trying for a breakthrough win in the race and he believes She’s Exotic might be the most suitable contender he’s had yet.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have a few runners in it over the last few years, but I vowed I never wanted to be in the race again unless I had one that I have no doubts fits the bill,” Morgan said.

“I’ve had some good horses in it, like Ice In Vancouver and Le Melody, They’ve each won about $200,000 in prizemoney, but there was a query over them about getting up to the 1200 metres of the race.

Cody Morgan (Pic: Bradley Photos)

“Then there were others like Ligulate, which also wasn’t a specialist 1200-metre horse and was better off over a bit further.

“But this girl, She’s Exotic, the 1200 will be absolutely no problem for her. Whether she’s at that level of a Kosciuszko or not we’ll find out, but the distance doesn’t bother me at all.

“She’ll be a genuine 1200-metre horse for sure and we’re building up to that with her.”

The $2 million The Kosciuszko will be run at Randwick on October 19.

Punters can go in the draw to have a horse run for them in The Kosciuszko by purchasing sweepstakes tickets at $5 each via TAB through agencies, the TAB app, pubs and clubs and at race meetings until September 9.

The 14 slot-holders will be drawn on September 11 and they will then be able to do a deal on a prizemoney split with the connections of eligible runners trained in the NSW country or ACT.

After not having a runner in either of the first two editions of The Kosciuszko, in 2018-19, Morgan has had a total of nine starters spread across the four runnings of the race since.

His best result was with Edit, which finished fourth in 2021.

“Every year that you have runners in the race you get a better understanding of the quality of horse you need and I feel She’s Exotic is of that quality,” Morgan said.

“This mare is a big, strong horse and we put her out for a spell with a definite aim towards The Kosciuszko.

“This one fits the bill in terms of potential. She’s won three from three, a couple over 1000 metres and then up to 1100, and she’s been beating them by a space.

“Weaker races, but against much more experienced horses and I think the form-line will hold up as she takes on better fields.

“We’ll give her one or two barrier trials and then look to race her in Sydney on September 7, probably in a Benchmark 78 for the mares over 1100.

“It would be a perfect advertisement for the slot-holders if she could do the job in that race and she’d be ready for the move up to 1200 after that.

“We’ll get to see six weeks out from The Kosciuszko whether that’s the sort of race that’s right for her.”

She’s Exotic is a $11 chance with TAB for The Kosciuszko.

Morgan said he was also hoping Last Frontier, another that is coming back from a spell, does enough to attract the interest of slot-holders.

“He’s won three from four and has already been successful over 1200, so we’ll aim in that direction with both of them and see if they’re good enough,” he said.

Buy your $5 tickets in The Kosciuszko here