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By Ray Hickson

It’s not often you knock back the chance to have James McDonald partner your horse in a $2 million race but trainer Luke Clarke is more than happy to give Winona Costin her chance on Testator Silens in Saturday’s The Kosciuszko (1200m) at Royal Randwick.

Trainer Luke Clarke (Pic: Steve Hart)

The Braidwood galloper received a late call up to run in the world’s richest country race when 2020 champion It’s Me was unable to shake off some lameness and it was immediately assumed McDonald would be snapped up.

But Clarke said he wanted to stick to the original plan he had in place that would have seen Testator Silens run at Randwick on Saturday in a Benchmark 78 race – which was ultimately deleted due to last week’s washout – and Costin was to ride him there.

“She rode him in the trial, I wanted to put someone on him that knows him,’’ Clarke said.

“I said the slot holder I know we’re knocking back one of the best jockeys in the world but I put Winona on him in the trial to have a feel of him for the Benchmark 78.

“He’s a push button horse to ride in the race, he just gets a bit on the toe. That’s the reason why I wanted to go with someone who knows him.”

Testator Silens has an imposing record of five wins from seven starts including the South East Country Championships (1400m) at Nowra back in February.

He ultimately ran seventh as a $9 chance behind Another One in the Final.

“He drew wide and went back too far. He pulled up a bit sore after it and on paper there were genuine excuses,’’ Clarke said.

The gelding has a win over Kosciuszko rival Anethole from a famous TAB Highway earlier this year in which Shelby Sixtysix finished sixth.

Clarke conceded he thought Testator Silens had done enough in the autumn to earn himself a Kosciuszko berth.

“You probably needed to be talking him up and being a bit more media-ish which I didn’t do anything of,’’ he said.

“We were sure he’d have enough good form to get up there. I was a little disappointed (he didn't get picked) but it wasn’t the end of the world.”

The Glen Innes Services Club group were the slot winners who selected It’s Me and they could feel fortunate that Clarke was preparing Testator Silens as though he was going to race on Everest Day.

Testator Silens wins a Goulburn trial on October 4Divine Glory runs third at Randwick on October 1

The trainer said he’s expecting a top six finish - $34 was TAB’s price on making the field.

“He’s had a couple of jump outs, a quietish trial at Canberra about eight weeks ago then a good hard hitout at Goulburn a fortnight ago,’’ he said.

“He’s come through it very well and he’s good as gold. He’s as good as I can have him without having a run under his belt but he’s had heaps of work.”

All the fields, form and replays for TAB Everest Day at Royal Randwick