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Miracle horse Far Too Easy makes another astonishing recovery and racetrack comeback after trainer David McColm said his final goodbye

They should make a movie about Far Too Easy, who has cheated death several times and the most recent this year was so grave that his trainer said a final goodbye.

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Far Too Easy was so critically ill with colitis earlier this year that his tearful trainer David McColm hugged his favourite horse and said a final goodbye.

“I did say goodbye to him, I thought it was the end,” an emotional McColm recalled.

“I started crying, I said we can kiss him goodbye.

“He didn’t even look the same horse, he looked terrible.

“He probably lost 70kg and if you can imagine underneath his jaw, there was a whole lot of fluids as all of the protein went out of his body.

“There was also a big lot of fluid under his neck, down his chest and under his stomach, it was like he was carrying a lot of footballs inside him.

“I thought if we could somehow save him it would be great, but my feeling was that if he survived he definitely wouldn’t race again.”

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Incredibly, it isn’t the first time Far Too Easy has cheated death.

He also survived when deadly floodwaters swept through his Murwillumbah stables and then he overcame a nasty bacterial infection.

Far Too Easy after surviving deadly flood waters at Murwillumbah.
Far Too Easy after surviving deadly flood waters at Murwillumbah.

The horse they could make a movie about makes his latest incredible comeback at Eagle Farm on Saturday, lining up there en route to his quest to score the $2m The Kosciuszko in Sydney next month.

Far Too Easy was snapped up by a Kosciuszko slot-holder this week and is a $6 chance for rich race.

But he would have been much longer odds just to cling to life earlier this year.

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“The vet said he was doing everything that he could,” McColm said.

“The horse was very, very ill but the vet said we should just try to stabilise him and keep him going and try to get enough liquids into him to make sure his organs didn’t have any problems.

“The vet said even if he survived he may never race again because his legs had swollen up so much and they were just constantly packed with ice.

“We couldn’t feed him because it was just running through him.

“But on the fifth day he started to eat.

“His manure started to change and you could see it getting firmer.

“The vet then came out and said he thought he was definitely going to make it.”

Brilliant sprinter Far Too Easy winning at Eagle Farm last December. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography
Brilliant sprinter Far Too Easy winning at Eagle Farm last December. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography

Far Too Easy, who boasts an electric turn of foot, has finished third and second in the last two runnings of The Kosciuszko.

The now six-year-old gelding had been set to go first-up into the rich race next month but McColm changed plans earlier this week.

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He felt that Far Too Easy had bounced through two recent trials wins so well that he wanted to give him a run at Eagle Farm before unleashing him on The Kosciuszko.

“We were looking at going first-up into The Kosciuszko, but he has just come to hand so quickly,” McColm said.

“After his first trial he came home and he was just jumping out of his skin.

“After the next trial he came home still bucking and carrying on.

“I either had to trial him a couple more times or maybe give him a start.

“The Eagle Farm race has fitted in with what we were doing, but it wasn’t the plan to begin with.”

Murwillumbah trainer David McColm with his star horse Far Too Easy. Picture: Supplied
Murwillumbah trainer David McColm with his star horse Far Too Easy. Picture: Supplied

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Far Too Easy is rated a $2.80 chance to make a winning return in the Quality Handicap (1000m) at Eagle Farm.

Despite being burdened with the big weight of 61kg, McColm expects his stable star to be fighting out the finish.

“The horse loves what he does, he wants to please,” McColm said.

“He knows when he gets beaten.

“When he does get beaten, he goes down with a fight.”

Originally published as Miracle horse Far Too Easy makes another astonishing recovery and racetrack comeback after trainer David McColm said his final goodbye

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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/horse-racing/nsw-racing/miracle-horse-far-too-easy-makes-another-astonishing-recovery-and-racetrack-comeback-after-trainer-david-mccolm-said-his-final-goodbye/news-story/20b38e9f9653c94c29bb2c3354e29ef6