The scene is set for the most anticipated edition of The Kosciuszko in history, with the $2 million country-restricted slot holder event to be run and won at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
With the 1200m sprint, the world’s richest country race, excitement is at fever pitch, with a classy field of 14 runners set to do battle.
As always, NSW Country and Picnic Racing‘s Editor, Jeff Hanson, has run his keen eye over the field.
Selections
Opal Ridge ($2.50) is the horse to beat. She’s a class mare that could go on and win a Group 1 down the track.
Mogo Magic ($8) is a speed demon, and connections are yet to get to the bottom of the youngster.
Still, if the pace is on in earnest, Far Too Easy ($6.50) and Akasawa ($21) will be storming home from the back.
Jeff Hanson’s picks: 7-8-3-4
Front Page
Thunderbet Price: $5
Trainer: Matthew Dale
Jockey/weight: Tyler Schiller/59kg
Summary: Last year’s champion will have plenty of support.
Front Page has since moved from the Geoff Duryea yard to Matthew Dale’s care, and the seven-year-old will look to become the first horse in history to defend his title in the world’s richest country race.
Since his win last year, the Magnus gelding hasn’t triumphed again but has raced in very good company, contesting four Group 1s while finishing sixth in The Goodwood and eighth in the Newmarket.
With Tyler Schiller in the saddle, he’ll be first-up from a 19-week spell, but a recent second in a trial against the highly-touted Mogo Magic suggests he’ll be right to go.
The only issues are the considerable weight (59kg) and the awkward draw (gate 8).
Mnementh
Thunderbet Price: $23
Trainer: Mitchell Beer
Jockey/weight: Tommy Berry/59kg
Summary: The ‘Big M’ and his trainer will have their loyal supporters on Saturday, and the Albury galloper will be every chance on his best form.
The Eurozone gelding defeated Front Page in the Wagga Town Plate in May and followed that effort up with a win in the Listed Santa Ana lane Sprint Series Final at Flemington in July.
Tommy Berry takes the ride, and first-up (8-2-2-0), the seven-year-old will be ready to go.
Far Too Easy
Thunderbet Price: $6.50
Trainer: David McColm
Jockey/weight: James Orman/58.5kg
Summary: The five-year-old has the motor to win this race, but luck will play a big part due to the draw and his racing pattern.
The All Too Hard gelding typically gets back, and he showed that in the Ramornie at Grafton in July, flashing late to finish a terrific second to The Big Goodbye.
He’s won seven from 17 and has prevailed in Listed company and last year’s Northern Rivers heat of the 2022 Country Championships.
Still, he will likely give some of the other highly-fancied runners a start and will need the pace to be on to win on Saturday.
Akasawa
Photo: Scone Race Club.
Thunderbet Price: $21
Trainer: Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich
Jockey/weight: Aaron Bullock/57.5kg
Summary: The six-year-old is undoubtedly one of the more interesting runners in this $2 million race.
An eight-time winner from 13 starts, the Real Impact gelding is arguably the premier galloper in country NSW, but an argument could be made that he is better suited over seven or more furlongs and not 1200m.
While he has won at Canterbury over 1250m, his best wins arrived in the heat of the Hunter-North West Country Championships (1400m) at Tamworth in February, a 1700m Benchmark 78 Handicap win at Scone, and his most recent victory in the Gunnedah Cup, when carrying 63.5kg to victory over eight furlongs.
Aaron Bullock stays in the saddle, and Akasawa won’t know himself with 58.5kg on his back.
He has trialled well in the lead-up to this race, winning over 1000m and 900m at Scone.
Still, gate 10 makes things awkward, but you can’t deny the galloper’s ability.
Cavalier Charles
Thunderbet Price: $41
Trainer: Matthew Dale
Jockey/weight: Hugh Bowman/57.5kg
Summary: The six-year-old is a six-time winner with a terrific victory in the 2022 Country Championships Wild Card under his belt.
The Denman gelding finished fourth, beaten only two and a half lengths by Front Page in last year’s The Kosciuszko, and he franked that form, running second to Fender in the Country Classic in November and winning in town in December.
He came out and finished third in the National Sprint in March before going to the paddock and returning with a fifth placing in an 1100m Benchmark 78 Handicap at Rosehill Gardens last month.
Unfortunately, he has drawn the car park with gate 14, and he will need a lot of luck and some Hugh Bowman magic to win from there.
I’ve Bean Tryin’
Thunderbet Price: $41
Trainer: Matthew Kelley
Jockey/weight: Jason Collett/57.5kg
Summary: Connections played the long game and were rewarded when the five-year-old gained one of the last slots in The Kosciusko.
A six-time winner from an up-and-coming stable, the Spill The Beans gelding ran well in the 2023 Country Championships, winning the Southern Wild Card (1400m) at Goulburn in March before backing up and finishing third in the final, beaten two lengths by Sizzle Minizzle in heavy eight conditions.
He’s since won in town and returned from a four-week freshen-up, running fourth in a 1500m Benchmark 78 Handicap at Rosehill Gardens on June 3.
The issue may be the distance, with 1200m, not an ideal trip, but he’s got the ability and could show up somewhere in the finish.
Opal Ridge
Thunderbet Price: $2.50
Trainer: Luke Pepper
Jockey/weight: James McDonald/57kg
Summary: The four-year-old is the punter’s pick, with the money coming thick and fast since the barrier draw, with Opal Ridge now the $2.50 favourite.
The six-time winner has triumphed in Group and Listed grade, and she was only one and a half lengths from claiming Group One victory in the Tattersall’s Tiara during the Brisbane carnival.
The Scone galloper is the class runner of the field; she has James McDonald on board, and gate two means she should get the run of the race if Mogo Magic powers forward from gate four.
Mogo Magic
Thunderbet Price: $8
Trainer: Scott Collings
Jockey/weight: Nick Heywood/57kg
Summary: The four-year-old is the up-and-coming star of the field and faces his toughest test to date.
The Goulburn galloper is unbeaten in five starts, and his past three wins have been in town, with back-to-back Highway victories followed up by a dominant win in an 1100m Benchmark 72 Handicap.
The Duporth gelding has been subject to multiple vet inspections but has since been given the green light to race.
Mogo Magic is a high-speed horse and is drawn to be leading, if not sitting in the leading bunch, and the biggest concern will be whether he runs out a genuine 1200m.
Bianco Vilano
Thunderbet Price: $41
Trainer: Ron Stubbs
Jockey/weight: Craig Williams/57kg
Summary: The Albury galloper has been in fine fettle of late, winning four of his past five starts, while his only loss during that run of races was a gallant fourth when beaten two and a half lengths by Sizzle Minizzle in the 2023 Country Championships final, which was run on a heavy eight at Randwick back in April.
The five-year-old backed that effort up with a classy Highway victory at Rosehill Gardens in late April, and he’s since been spelled in preparation for this event.
The Foxwedge gelding was a good trial winner at Ballina earlier this month, winning by thee lengths over five furlongs, and Craig Williams takes the ride.
Our Last Cash
Thunderbet Price: $34
Trainer: Donna Scott
Jockey/weight: Rachel King/56.5kg
Summary: The six-year-old is another runner coming out of the 2023 Country Championships, where he came fifth in the final, beaten two and a half lengths.
That form held up nicely, with the Magnus gelding winning two of his past three starts down the straight (1100m) at Flemington.
Connections have drawn sticky with gate 13, and while there is no doubting the Albury galloper’s ability, there is reason to believe he is better down the straight than he is at Royal Randwick.
Sizzle Minizzle
Thunderbet Price: $61
Trainer: Brett Robb
Jockey/weight: Sam Clipperton/56.5kg
Summary: Can the four-year-old pull a rabbit out of the hat in both of NSW’s premier country races?
The Sizzling gelding surprised many pundits when winning the 2023 Country Championships as a 60/1 chance.
He’s since come out and finished fourth in the Group 3 Hawkesbury Guineas, and following an 18-week spell, he raced first-up and finished 12th of 13 in the 1100m Benchmark 78 Handicap.
If it’s wet, the Dubbo galloper is a massive chance, but on a good track, Sizzle Minizzle might struggle to keep up with a field of speed demons.
Derry Grove
Thunderbet Price: $8.50
Trainer: Matthew Dunn
Jockey/weight: Nash Rawiller/55.5kg
Summary: The five-year-old has been one of the best-backed to win The Kosciuszko.
Rated a $26 chance when initially picked up, he’s since come into $8.50 following a dominant Highway win at Randwick last month.
The Star Turn gelding has won four from ten and three on the trot this preparation, including a victory at Ipswich and back-to-back Highways at Royal Randwick.
He’s not won at 1200m yet, but Nash Rawiller does jump aboard from gate six.
Based on his last run, you’d be a brave punter to be putting a line through him, although $8.50 does appear unders.
Broken Hill
Thunderbet Price: $34
Trainer: Cody Morgan
Jockey/weight: Dylan Gibbons/55kg
Summary: The five-year-old is unbeaten since moving from the Hawkes racing team to Cody Morgan, starting three times for three wins.
Following back-to-back wins at Tamworth, the Lonhro gelding won The Jackal Flying Handicap at Grafton in April before heading to the paddock in preparation for The Kosciuszko.
Gate three suits, Dylan Gibbons jumps aboard, and he has been trialling the house down, suggesting he will be primed to go on Saturday.
Kimberly Secrets
Thunderbet Price: $26
Trainer: Nick Olive
Jockey/weight: Kathy O’Hara/54kg
Summary: The four-year-old filly gets in on the minimum, and the in-form Kathy O’Hara takes the ride.
The Wandjina mare is lightly raced, starting nine times for four wins, and she proved her toughness in March when, as a three-year-old, she claimed a gritty win in the South East Country Championships heat (1400m) at Moruya.
Her first-up run this preparation was a good third in an 1100m Benchmark 78 Handicap at Rosehill Gardens, and she should be primed second up (2:1-1).
Drawn nicely with gate one, she can race on the speed and carrying only 54kg; it’s no wonder bookmakers have rolled her price in from $51 to $26.
Emergencies
Art Cadeau
Thunderbet Price: $61
Trainer: Terry Robinson
Jockey/weight: NA/59kg
Fender
Thunderbet Price: $61
Trainer: Brett Cavanough
Jockey/weight: NA/ 58.5kg
Super Helpful
Thunderbet Price: $61
Trainer: Barbara Joseph, Paul and Matt Jones
Jockey/weight: Adam Hyeronimus/58.5kg
Greyworm
Thunderbet Price: $126
Trainer: Neville Boyle
Jockey/weight: NA/57.5kg
