Latest news with #DavidMcColm
News.com.au
01-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
The Kosciuszko champion Far Too Easy won't defend his country sprint crown in 2025
Reigning champion Far Too Easy won't be eligible to defend his The Kosciuszko crown this spring with trainer David McColm eyeing off another $2 million feature on The Everest day. Far Too Easy claimed the state's richest country sprint at his third attempt last spring after a pair of near misses in the race. The build up for this year's Kosciuszko began in earnest on Tuesday with TAB sweepstakes tickets for slot holders going on sale. • But a stable move from Murwillumbah to the Gold Coast has ruled McColm's stable star out of a fourth tilt at the 1200m feature. 'It weighed heavily on our minds (to delay the move) but it was a bit of a difficult one,' McColm said. 'We've got 16 boxes on the Gold Coast. We had been at Murwillumbah for 30 years so it's a massive undertaking and for the family to pack up, move schools, and stuff like that, it's daunting in that respect but from a training point of view it will be nice. 'There are a couple of different races we are looking, one of them on The Everest day (the Sydney Stakes), so we will be back down in the spring, it just won't be in the Kosciuszko.' The Group 3 $2 million Sydney Stakes (1200m) is also run on October 18 at Royal Randwick, less than an hour before the $20 million The Everest. 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_club — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 19, 2024 Far Too Easy was on the third line of betting at $8 for The Kosciuszko. Two-time The Kosciuszko winner Front Page, runner-up in last year's race, is the $4 early favourite for this year's feature sprint with Clear Thinking at $6 and both Gallant Star and Know Thyself at $8. Sweepstakes tickets will be available until Monday, September 8 with 14 tickets drawn on September 10. Winning ticket holders will then negotiate a slot deal with connections of NSW country or ACT-trained horses. Far Too Easy is a $4.50 chance to end his winter carnival preparation on a high note in Saturday's Listed $300,000 Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast. A second crack at the Listed $200,000 Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton on July 16 is off the table for Far Too Easy.
News.com.au
12-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
There will be tears if Far Too Easy can fulfil Chris Caserta's Group 1 prophecy in Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm
Matt Caserta was screaming at the top of his lungs. Then he broke down in tears and sobbed uncontrollably. It was when Far Too Easy powered to victory in the $2m The Kosciuszko on The Everest day at Randwick in Sydney last year. • It was a magic moment which Matt Caserta felt honoured the memory of his much-loved late twin brother Chris, the jockey who tragically drowned when going for a Surfers Paradise swim in 2021. Chris Caserta rode Far Too Easy at the galloper's first two wins at Grafton in 2021 and told his twin brother that David McColm's horse was a future Group 1 star. It hasn't eventuated yet, even though Far Too Easy has been a star and won almost $2.4m in prizemoney. But it could come to pass on Saturday in the Stradbroke Handicap. 'I was in my car watching the race on my phone when Far Too Easy won The Kosciuszko, I was screaming at the top of my lungs to get him home and then I broke down in tears when he won,' Matt Caserta said. 'It was Chris's favourite horse and from the first time he jumped on it, he told me it would be something very special. 'Every time the horse races, I watch it. 'I'll be watching on Saturday and hoping the horse can win again and win a Group 1 like Chris said he would one day.' Far Too Easy too strong in The Kosciuszko! ðŸ�'ï¸� What a story for David McColm! @DavidMccolm2 @CWilliamsJockey — 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) October 19, 2024 Unbeknown to Matt Caserta until Racenet told him, there is a special memorial plaque in the Eagle Farm jockeys' room which honours the late Chris Caserta. Sydney jockey Regan Bayliss will ride the Murwillumbah-trained horse Far Too Easy in the Stradbroke and there won't be a dry eye in the house if he wins. Far Too Easy is the horse who has cheated death – surviving deadly floods which have swept through his stable and also battling serious illness – to become a racing miracle. After a couple of uncustomary poor runs following his dazzling Kosciuszko triumph, Far Too Easy was back to form when finishing runner-up behind Stradbroke favourite War Machine in the Group 3 BRC Sprint. It convinced McColm to set his stable star loose on the Stradbroke. Far Too Easy is a $26 chance in the Stradbroke and War Machine, who beat him by 2½ lengths in the BRC Sprint, is the raging favourite. However, there is a weight swing in Far Too Easy's favour. Far Too Easy carried 59kg in the BRC Sprint and plunges to 52.5kg for the Stradbroke. War Machine carried 56.5kg in the BRC Sprint and drops to 53kg in the Stradbroke.
