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By Greg Prichard

Allan Robards, one of last year’s biggest winners from The Kosciuszko sweepstakes draw, has a tip for punters who are thinking of buying tickets this year.

“The whole experience and being there at Randwick on the day was awesome,” Robards said.

“If you buy a few tickets, you never know, you might end up lucky and get to experience the same thing. You’ve got to be in it to win it.”

Robards, who lives at Bulahdelah on the Mid North Coast, and his mate Mark Boyd joined forces to buy $50 worth of tickets each after receiving offers that came with bonus bets via the TAB app.

They were fortunate enough to get the favourite for the race - two-time The Kosciuszko winner Front Page, trained by Matt Dale at Goulburn - to race for them and the gallant gelding put in another great run before finishing second to Far Too Easy.

Allan Robards (left) with his daughter Katie, son-in-law William and son Justin at Randwick for The Kosciuszko in 2024.

“Our share for running second was $136,000, so Mark and I pocketed $68,000 each,” Robards said.

“We had a great crew of family and friends with us at Randwick and it was a fantastic day. The atmosphere was incredible.

“So many big races, including the Everest, and the Sweet Caroline thing - it’s just incredible how everyone gets involved in singing along. I thought that was the highlight of the day. We were all singing along.

"I’d been to a lot of racecourses all around Australia, but I’d never been to Randwick. I know it’s hard to believe, but it was my first time ever on a Sydney track. Sydney’s not really my cup of tea. It’s a bit hectic for me. But this was such a great day.

“I was in the owners’ enclosure for The Kosciuszko with a few others from our group. We thought we were home with 100 metres to go and just got run down, but it’s not often you go to the races and you and your mate win $136,000. It wasn’t a bad day out.

“There was a TAB boost offer to back Bella Nipotina in the Everest and we all $50 on that too. I had $20 on the winning quinella in The Kosciuszko as well because Far Too Easy was the only other horse I was worried about.

“We all went out for a big Chinese meal at the casino that night. It was a great way to celebrate.”

The $2 million The Kosciuszko will be run over 1200 metres at Randwick on October 18.

Punters can go in the draw to have a horse run for them in The Kosciuszko by purchasing sweepstakes tickets at $5 each through the TAB app, tab.com.au, your local pub and club and at race meetings.

Ticket sales close at 11.59pm on Monday, September 8, and the 14 slot-holders will be drawn at 10am on Wednesday, September 10. They can then do a deal on a prizemoney split with the connections of eligible runners trained in the NSW country or ACT.

Robards said he and Boyd had already bought sweepstakes tickets in this year’s Kosciuszko slot draw after receiving another offer via the TAB app.

“If we were lucky enough to get another slot we’d probably try for Front Page again,” he said.

“I backed him when he won in Brisbane at the winter carnival. I’ve been backing him since he won the Wagga Town Plate a few years ago.

“I’m pretty loyal when it comes to the horses I back, so it was an easy choice for me to try to get Front Page for the Kosciuszko when we won a slot last year.”

Robards said the ultimate would be for him to win a slot again to coincide with his retirement from working at the Forestry Corporation.

“I’m 67 now and I’m retiring on October 24, a week after the Kozzie,” he said. “I’m not a greedy man, but I wouldn’t say no to heading into retirement with a big win.

“A lot of people at Bulahdelah that I know down at the bowling club are buying tickets. They’re thinking, ‘if you can do it, we can too’. You’ve just got to be lucky.”

Buy your tickets in The Kosciuszko sweepstakes here - anyone can win!