Trainer David McColm just wants stress-free winter carnival prep for his gutsy gelding Far Too Easy

Far Too Easy, who has twice cheated death, has enjoyed a trouble-free preparation for the winter carnival and that’s how trainer David McColm wants it to remain.

The Kosciuszko champion Far Too Easy’s path to the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap has so far been drama-free and that’s just the way David McColm likes it for the miracle horse who has twice cheated death.

The Murwillumbah trainer declared Far Too Easy was the “best and strongest” he had seen in the tough gelding’s 23-race career, which has netted nine wins, including last October’s emotion-charged Kosciuszko crown at Randwick when he secured $1m for his owners, which include McColm.

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Thoughts of tackling a third crack in The Kosciuszko were furthest from McColm’s mind after the horse almost died from acute colitis in April last year.

This came two years after the resilient Far Too Easy survived floodwaters raging around him at McColm’s Murwillumbah stables prior to finishing fourth in the 2022 Country Championships, the same year he finished second in The Kosciuszko.

He jagged third place in 2023 after the gutsy galloper had overcome a skin infection and then it was third-time lucky with last year’s epic victory in the $2m sprint over 1200m when he finally beat Front Page, who had won the previous two editions of the country feature.

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“At this stage I’m over the moon, he’s going great. He seems to be on track and we haven’t had any mishaps,” McColm said about Far Too Easy, who has won his two trials on the Gold Coast and Doomben over the past three weeks.

“It’s been a pretty straightforward prep this one so it’s been good.”

Far Too Easy winning The Kosciuszko last spring. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Far Too Easy will have another trial at the Gold Coast in a fortnight before heading to the Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on May 3.

“The plan that we’ve mapped is the Group 3 BRC Sprint at Doomben (over 1350m on May 24) and then into the Stradbroke (at Eagle Farm on June 14),” McColm revealed.

“We have a back-up plan in case the tracks are rock-hard but that’s our main goal.

“We’re going to evaluate it as we get closer but we’re just hoping there’s a little bit of give in the tracks.”

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Far Too Easy hasn’t raced since failing to make an impact in the Group 2 The Hunter at Newcastle on November 16 when he came second-last with Kyle Wilson-Taylor steering.

“We’ve sort of planned it that way, we don’t overrace him,” McColm said of the lightly raced gelding.

“The Hunter was a bit disappointing but he had a stone bruise in one foot.

“I know he’s a six-year-old but he’s fully furnished now and this is the strongest and the best he’s been in his career.

“The stone bruise took a little while to get over so we just left him and made sure everything was right before we put him back into work.”

David McColm’s Far Too Easy has survived deadly flood waters at Murwillumbah. Picture: Trenton Akers

McColm said he was still riding high after Far Too Easy finally defeated fierce rival Front Page in last year’s The Kosciuszko, thanks to a brilliant tactical ride by Craig Williams.

“A race like that is life-changing for all of us here, we’re a family concern. To be involved in a race like that is a dream come true and to win it is the pinnacle,” he said.

“It’s climbing the mountain, as I say, and that’s what we did. We’re still on cloud nine and we’re very proud of the fact that he’s achieved that goal.”

McColm said he was hopeful that champion jockey Williams would again be onboard Far Too Easy for the upcoming Queensland Winter Carnival.

“He’s very much aware of the plan that we’ve got so he’s definitely going to be a part of it,” the trainer said.

“We’re just not 100 per cent sure whether he’ll be here for all those races but the ones he will be, hopefully he’ll be on.”

Originally published as Trainer David McColm just wants stress-free winter carnival prep for his gutsy gelding Far Too Easy