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By Greg Prichard

Hugely popular cricket commentator and former Test player Kerry O’Keeffe and successful Dubbo businessman David Ringland are hoping to get lucky in The Kosciuszko sweepstakes draw in a bid to realise their dream.

The pair are co-owners of the Dubbo-trained racehorse Gallant Star, which finished a slashing second in the Country Championships Final at Randwick in the autumn and is now being aimed at The Kosciuszko in the spring.

“We’d love to win a slot and we’re buying tickets in the draw and matching each other,” Ringland said.

“When one of us buys some the other buys the same amount. We’ve already spent a thousand dollars each and we intend to spend a bit more yet.”

O’Keeffe, known as “Skull”, added: “I loved the journey that we went on in the Country Championships. The horse ran well in the final and we were chuffed and our next journey is The Kosciuszko. It’s a great concept, this race.”

David Ringland, Brett Robb, David's wife Heather, Kerry O'Keeffe, Shannon Llewellyn (Robb stable apprentice) after Gallant Star won at Randwick on December

The $2 million The Kosciuszko will be run over 1200 metres at Randwick on October 19.

Punters can go in the draw to have a horse run for them in The Kosciuszko by purchasing sweepstakes tickets at $5 each via TAB through agencies, the TAB app, pubs and clubs and at race meetings until September 9.

The 14 slot-holders will be drawn on September 11 and they will then be able to do a deal on a prizemoney split with the connections of eligible runners trained in the NSW country or ACT.

Gallant Star’s astute trainer Brett Robb, a horseman in the true sense of the word who has a lifetime of experience behind him having grown up in a racing family, has done a fantastic job with the gelding.

Now a five-year-old, Gallant Star has won or been placed in 10 of his 11 career starts and never finished further back than fourth.

Robb, Ringland and O’Keeffe were like a band of brothers at the Country Championships Final and the co-owners couldn’t imagine anything better than sharing a win in The Kosciuszko with their favourite trainer.

Ringland has been a friend of both Robb’s and O’Keeffe’s for a long time and now they have embraced each other as a trio as they seek to realise their ambition.

“We’ve got a horse we believe can do something in The Kosciuszko and we’ve got the right trainer,” Ringland said.

“I’ve seen first-hand the way Brett works with his horses. He’s got a tremendous feel for what he does.”

O’Keeffe added: “The Kosciuszko is a tough race, but our boy has come back stronger. He’s put on muscle and as a five-year-old it’s his time to shine. Brett says this is the best he’s seen him, so that’s really fired our enthusiasm.”

Ringland said that although the Western Districts Country Championships at Coonamble, in which Gallant Star also ran second, and the Final were both over 1400 metres a likely fast-run race on a big track over 1200m would suit Gallant Star if trained the right way.

“They usually go hard in a race like this and I reckon with the sort of horses that look like running in it they’re going to chop each other to bits up front,” he said.

“And Gallant Star will be sitting back a bit, waiting to cut loose and attack the line like he always does.”

Robb plans to start Gallant Star in the feature sprint race on Dubbo Cup day - the Vincent Gordon Flying Handicap over 1100 metres on September 29 – and go straight to The Kosciuszko in three weeks from there, provided the horse gets a run.

“He’s a $26 chance to win The Kosciuszko in the pre-noms market on the TAB,” O’Keeffe said.

“David and I both backed him at $51 and I reckon $26 is still great odds. I love the horse, he’s just got a wonderful nature and tries hard all the time.”

Buy your $5 tickets in The Kosciuszko here