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By Greg Prichard

Who do you fancy in the Kosciuszko? If you're making up your mind here are quotes from the trainers of all the runners in Saturday's $1.3m The Kosciuszko (1200m) at Royal Randwick.

1. HANDLE THE TRUTH (Trainer: Keith Dryden, Canberra): “We’re happy. He’s been perfect since his last race. Barrier one is way better than barrier 14 and Nash (Rawiller, the jockey) knows what he’s doing. It’s always more difficult from the outside, but from the inside you just need a bit of luck after they jump and you’re in with a chance. He’s certainly not hopeless in the wet - he’s won several races in it - but he’s a better horse on top of the ground.”

2. FRONT PAGE (SCRATCHED).

Trainer Terry Robinson (Pic: Bradley Photos).

3. ART CADEAU (Trainer: Terry Robinson, Shoalhaven Heads): “I’m happy with my horse, he’s done really well, everything’s gone to plan. We’ve drawn a great marble in three and he’s such a good beginner I’d imagine he’ll be safely in the first five settling down. I’m just looking forward to it now. He might not be the most brilliant horse in the race, but he’s such an honest, reliable horse and I know he’ll be strong at the finish. Very strong.”

4. PLONKA (Trainer: Warren Gavenlock, Coffs Harbour): “I’m happy with him. We’ve done all the work we can do and he’s improved. He’s ready to go. He drew seven, so it was great to draw a good barrier after he drew wide when he was sixth in the Country Championships Final in the autumn. There’s a bit of pace underneath us and we should get into the box seat from there. The rain we’ve had is in our favour as well.”

5. AHEADOFHISTIME (Trainer: Trevor Hardy, Coffs Harbour): “He’s very good in himself. Last couple of gallops have been spot on and he hasn’t left anything in the feed bin. Last Saturday he had a workout on the course proper at Coffs and that was probably the best he’s worked for me. He’s won plenty of times in the wet, so I’m not worried about the track conditions. He’s not an easy horse to ride, but (jockey) Jeff Penza knows him well.”

6. SPIRANAC (Trainer: Rod Northam, Scone): “She’s had a couple of good gallops on a heavy track up here, so she won’t be going down there and seeing that as foreign ground. She hasn’t really handled it that great in the past when it’s been really shifty and heavy, but it’s like anything - the more practice you have on it, the better you get. Hopefully it won’t be a swamp. I’m really happy with her – she looks fantastic.”

7. EDIT (Trainer: Cody Morgan, Tamworth): “He’s good. Would’ve been nice to draw a bit better than 11, but we’ll roll with it. It just means he’s going to be spotting them a big start, but the horse is well and we’ve got the right jockey (Hugh Bowman). He’s not a brilliant track-worker, so he doesn’t leave you full of confidence from that angle, but he was the same going into his first-up run and he went brilliantly, so it’s not an issue.”

Trainer Cody Morgan (Pic: Bradley Photos)

8. ICE IN VANCOUVER (Trainer: Cody Morgan, Tamworth): “He needed to draw better than 12 and he needs it dry, or at least not worse than a six, so at the moment things are probably not ideal for him. Just saying it as it is, but he’s a much better horse than he was 12 months ago so hopefully that helps him overcome things. He’s got good gate speed, so he’ll push on from that wide gate and I can see him being in the first three settling down.”

9. ISLAND BAY BOY (Trainer: Tony Sergi, Queanbeyan): “I've got him going as good as I can have him for Saturday. It's all up to him now. His last trial at Goulburn was nice. He wasn't fully extended, but it was what he needed. We didn't want to go into The Kosciuszko too fresh. He got into the race early, which was good, but it was a long time before the race, so we needed to find that balance. I'm pretty certain I've done it right.”

10. NADARAJA (Trainer: Stephen Jones, Scone): “Fantastic, really happy with him, he’s done everything right. I’ve been happy all along and he’s won all along, too. There’s further improvement in him, always, he’s only lightly raced. He goes in wet, he goes in dry, it doesn’t matter. His work’s sensational. He doesn’t have to lead, the jockey will weigh it up after the jump. I’ve upped the ante with his work to get him ready for 1200 metres.”

11. MR HUSSILL (Trainer: Cameron Crockett, Scone): “He’s drawn an ideal barrier in six and I’m really happy with where he’s at. The break he’s had since his last run has worked out perfect. I wanted him to be fresh going into the race and that’s how he is - he’s spot on. We needed a jockey and when Regan Bayliss won two Group Ones on the same day he was on the list of those available. The owners said, ‘See if you can get him,’ and we did.”

12. CEASEFIRE (Trainer: Paul Messara, Scone): “It would’ve been better if we’d drawn a decent barrier instead of 13, but that’s that. I’ll discuss it with Robbie (Dolan, the jockey) and then leave it to him to assess the race once they jump. We’ll have a bit of a plan, but then see what happens inside us and try to find a nice spot and get a bit of cover if we can and hope for the best. I don’t think the 1200 metres will be a problem.”

Trainer Mitchell Beer.

13. PATINO RUBY (Trainer: Brett Cavanough, Scone): “We’re bang on, ready to go to the races. Got a good jockey (Alysha Collett), good gate (five), I’m pretty happy. Alysha can ride the horse strong at the weight, so I locked her in early. The horse ticks every box there is for a race like this, we just have to hope we get it right on the day and things go well. We don’t need any good luck - we just don’t need any bad luck.”

14. SUNRISE RUBY (Trainer: Mitchell Beer, Albury): “Just bring it on. I wouldn’t change anything – barrier, track, jockey, her work . . . It’s not often you can go into a race happy with all aspects, you’re usually got something lingering in the back of your mind you’d want to change if you had the chance, but there’s really nothing with her, nothing at all. She’ll swim through the conditions. Lovely gate (four), right jockey (Glen Boss), ready to go.”

15. IRISH SONGS (Trainer: Kurt Goldman, Goulburn): “The horse is flying. He was always prepped to run at this meeting - he was in race one anyway - so it was always a deliberate plan to have him there, peaking. He’s proven he’s up to this grade. His wet form is superior and I like the wide barrier for him because he doesn’t like to be inside horses. Kerrin (McEvoy, the jockey) will just look for a bit of cover on him. I think he’s in it up to his eyeballs.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's TAB Everest meeting at Randwick