This year will be Matthew Dunn‘s first crack at The Kosciuszko since relinquishing his metropolitan training status and moving all his team back to Murwillumbah.
The decision has proven brilliant, with the leading country trainer set to have at least two runners in the $2 million country-only race at Royal Randwick on October 14.
Former trainer Jack Whybrow and his son Chris (Zeek) Whybrow of Harden, which is in the state’s South East, spent just $70 on tickets, and they were lucky enough to claim a slot.
Whybrow bypassed some handy local options and went straight to Dunn to lock in Derry Grove ($17).
Soon after that, Dunn’s phone rang again, and North Narrabeen’s Graham Price selected four-time winner Coco Rox.
“It’s great,” Dunn told NSW Country and Picnic Racing.
“This was a big part of why we pulled the pin on the Sydney stables so that we could become eligible again.
“To get a couple in the first year is a really good result. Highways have been good to us, and hopefully, The Kosciuszko will be as well.”
Coco Rox is a well-performed Better Than Ready Mare, who three starts back won the inaugural Belflyer Class Six Plate (1175m) over the Grafton carnival.
The five-year-old is also a city winner and placed in last year’s 1100m Denise Joy Stakes at Scone on her way to earning connections just shy of $300,000 in prize money.
“She is a quality mare and stakes placed,” Dunn said.
Derry Grove is only lightly raced, starting nine times for three wins, and his recent form has been superb.
Following a first-up victory in the 1100m Class Two Handicap at Ipswich in July, Dunn sent the Star Turn gelding to town, and the five-year-old was a classy four-length winner in the 1100m Class Two Highway Handicap at Royal Randwick on August 19.
“He was good last start, and we’ve pushed him a bit for this race,” Dunn said.
Dunn couldn’t split his chances and was happy to be well-represented.
“There’s not much between the two, and she’s a leader, he’s an off-pacer, and they are both proper contenders,” Dunn said.
“He loves the soft ground, too, and she goes on anything.”
Dunn did have Cepheus in the market ($15), but the Murwillumbah trainer confirmed the recent South Grafton Cup winner was being set for the $3 million Big Dance (1600m), which will be run and won at Royal Randwick on the first Tuesday in November.
“Cepheus isn’t going to go The Kosciuszko, and he’ll concentrate on the Big Dance,” Dunn said.
Leading into The Kosciuszko, Dunn has picked one race each for Derry Grove and Coco Rox, confirming it will be their last runs before the rich country-only feature.
“Derry Grove goes to a Highway race Saturday week, which is a 1000m (Class Three) race at Randwick,” Dunn said.
“Coco Rox will race at Rosehill the following week in a (1100m) Benchmark 78, and that will be their last runs going into the race.”
It’s been a huge Friday of The Kosciuszko news and slot holder announcements.
Goulburn’s Matt Cowling won two tickets before snapping up his horse, Mogo Magic, and race favourite, Opal Ridge.
In total, Nine horses have been snapped up for The Kosciuszko, with fellow Goulburn ticket winner Garry Dyson picking the Matthew Dale-trained Front Page, which won the race in 2022.
North Gosford ticket winner Grant Binns was also quick to act, securing the David McColm-trained Far Too Easy, which ran second in 2022.
Scott Williams of Inverell was another lucky winner quick to pick his horse, opting for the Country Championships runner-up Talbragar from the Cody Morgan yard.
Revesby ticket winner Craig Lynne gave Cody Morgan his second runner in the race, picking the in-form Broken Hill.
Lightning has struck twice for North Albury’s Michael Dyordyevic, who has won a slot in the race for two years running, and again, he’s selected the horse he part-owns, the Mitch Beer-trained Mnementh.
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