‘My dream has come true’: Far Too Easy wins the 2024 The Kosciuszko at Royal Randwick
Trainer David McColm lauded his horse Far Too Easy who finally exacted revenge on Front Page in The Kosciuszko.
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Far Too Easy has been to the brink and back and his trainer David McColm was with him every step of the way.
The Murwillumbah flyer was on death’s door earlier this year after suffering a serious bout of acute colitis in the autumn.
There were days when McColm didn’t think Far Too Easy would make it, let alone race again to the peak of his powers.
But Far Too Easy is no ordinary horse.
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McColm’s perseverance with the son of All Too Hard was rewarded when the country galloper lowered the colours of two-time defending champion Front Page in the $2 million The Kosciuszko (1200m) at Royal Randwick.
“My dream has come true and not just for us, for this horse, he’s been such a special animal to all of us and he deserves his name in the Kosciuszko record books,” McColm said.
“We’ve been through a lot with this horse, he’s had his ups and downs. This year he got very ill and I never ever thought we’d be back for another Kosciuszko tilt.”
“But he’s come through the day and he’s just, he’s done what he does and that is he tries.”
“He was very ill, he was. It was dire for about three days.”
Far Too Easy proves dreams can come true, and races past Front Page to become the 2024 Kosciuszko champ for @DavidMccolm2 and @CWilliamsJockey 🙌@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/rbntV0Fb1x
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 19, 2024
• What the jockeys said: 2024 The Everest Day at Royal Randwick
Victorian jockey Craig Williams produced a tactically perfect ride to help Far Too Easy turn the tables on Front Page ($2.60).
The gelding was back near last before rattling home for third 12 months ago but Williams had Far Too Easy ($4.80) stalking the Matt Dale-trained runner in behind the speed.
He peeled off Far Too Easy’s back and launched his challenge in the straight.
Far Too Easy got the better of Front Page at the 100m mark and raced away for a clear for a dominant 2-1/4 length success.
Front Page beat the Todd Howlett-trained Tanglewood ($16) by three quarters of a length for third.
“David gave me the confidence,” McColm said.
“I rode the horse the other day and I just said to David, ‘This horse is flying’.
“I rang him afterwards to make sure the horse is going well.
“He’s really happy with the weather they have there. I know he’s even adopted his plans because I had Michael Cahill as a backup to help me out one morning.”
Front Page was attempting to make it a hat-trick of victories after thrilling victories in 2022-23.
But McColm was confident Far Too Easy had the turn of foot needed to gun down the bold frontrunner.
“I thought we could run him down and look, Front Page is such an amazing horse in his own right,” he said.
“We’ve met him three times now and he’s beaten us twice.
“But when we were close and I knew that coming, I knew that last 50 or 100 (metres) he would be there.”
McColm has won a Listed Lough Neagh Stakes with Far Too Easy but his Kosciuszko win was undoubtedly the biggest victory of the trainer and horse’s respective careers.
It came at his second attempt after Far Too Easy was snapped up by a syndicate from the Tatts Hotel in Inverell.
The syndicate raced Talbragar in the same race last year.
“We got a ticket two years in a row, a syndicate of people at the pub,” publican Scott Williams said.
“I am the publican and they are all here today.”
“There is a 50 of us. We nearly got Far Too Easy last year.”
Far Too Easy was far from disgraced in his bid for a history making third Kosciuszko victory.
“He was brave in defeat. He gave his all,” jockey James McDonald said.
Josh Parr labelled Tanglewood’s run as a ‘fantastic effort’.
Country Championships winner Asgarda was the best of the closers, rattling home from the back to finish fifth.
Originally published as ‘My dream has come true’: Far Too Easy wins the 2024 The Kosciuszko at Royal Randwick
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