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By Greg Prichard

When a six-man group from Newcastle drew a coveted slot in the $2 million The Kosciuszko, they quickly settled on a preferred horse before syndicate head John Skidmore called trainer Cody Morgan and asked him straight up: “Can you win The Kosciuszko with Talbragar?”

Morgan had no hesitation in saying “yes” and he wouldn’t have had to manufacture his enthusiasm because he’s had a big wrap on the lightly-raced horse ever since it entered his stable late last year.

Talbragar (Kody Nestor) cruises to victory at Tamworth. Image by Bradley Photographers

The five-year-old has only had three races and has won each time.

“We thought it was an up-and-coming horse with good potential and that Cody was the right sort of trainer to go with as well,” Skidmore said.

“It’s last-start win at Tamworth was good, so we thought: ‘Yeah, let’s try to get him’.

“Cody said he thought Talbragar was going to be really good. Well bred, being a Snitzel horse, and can handle the wet.

"Improving all the time. Racing up on the pace, Cody reckoned it would be a really good chance in The Kosciuszko.”

The chance to win big with their share of the rich prizemoney in the 1200m race at Randwick on October 15 only cost the syndicate $300 worth of $5 tickets.

“Six of us put in 50 bucks each,” Skidmore said. “And look what happened – bloody beauty!

“I actually bought the winning ticket, but I didn’t know I might have it until my son Shaun - he’s also in the syndicate - mentioned that one of the winning tickets had been sold at The Junction TAB.

“I was the only one of us who’d bought tickets from there, so I went and checked them and there it was, the winner. Shaun and the other young blokes in the syndicate have got a little punters’ club going, so it’s really good for them. Great result.”

Shaun joined in to say you don’t necessarily have to spend a fortune to get a result.

“Yeah, sometimes you can just get lucky and that’s what we’ve done and we’re pretty happy about it,” he said.

John said he had part-owned many horses over the years and still does now, including the well-performed Frosty Rocks, winner of seven races - six of them in Sydney - for trainer Bjorn Baker.

“I’ve won a couple of Listed races with other horses as well, so we’ve had a lot of luck,” he said. “But this - getting involved with a horse in The Kosciuszko - is something different.

"It’s going to be pretty special and we’ll all be at Randwick on the day. We’re really looking forward to that.

“Often it’s the up-and-coming horses that are the way to go. The old warriors are hard to beat, but they’ve got to carry a bit of weight.”

After Talbragar won first-up from a spell at Tamworth on August 29, Morgan said: “He’s won all of his races comfortably. I know he hasn’t beaten a lot and that’s what a lot of people will say, but I’m super confident in the horse.

“He’s got a lot of potential. He’s so well bred and oozes quality and I’m sure he’s going to win a really good race in the coming months.”

Talbragar is currently a $21 chance on TAB for The Kosciuszko.