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By Ray Hickson

Albury trainer Donna Scott has resisted the temptation to ‘show off’ her Kosciuszko hopeful Lord Von Costa before the close of ticket sales to give the horse his best chance of winning the race if selected.

The eight-year-old has been a little out of sight since winning a Listed race at Flemington in June but Scott said it’s in the horse’s best interests not to deviate from her long range plan.

“He’s a horse that never does much in trials so I wouldn’t go out to win a trial for the sake of the Kosciuszko,’’ Scott said.

“I’m over the moon with him, he’s very well. I like to stick to a plan, he’ll trial at Corowa on the 15th and hopefully someone will pick us.

“He’s won two Listed races, if you do the form around him it holds up very well. If people really sat down and had a look at it he’s still a good price on his credentials.”

The gelding’s last five starts have been at Flemington and Scott said that’s largely due to proximity, the reduced travel time and racing down the straight course has been good for the horse given his previous tendon issues.

“It’s a three and a half hour trip to Melbourne for us compared to a six or seven hour ordeal to go to Sydney,’’ she said.

⛰ THE KOSCIUSZKO ⛰ - tickets are only days away from being drawn and I think your looking at winner right now 😉

LORD VON COSTA #giddyup@BlaikeMc @HulmLeanne @tabcomau @racing_nsw pic.twitter.com/0I8GwGLY9h

— Hazel Park Racing (@DScottRacing) August 30, 2020

“We wanted to win another one to get into the limelight for the Kosciuszko and there just seemed to be the ideal races in Victoria.’’

Lord Von Costa, $15 in TAB’s pre-noms market, won the Listed Creswick Stakes back in 2016 – two years later that race was won by Nature Strip, Gytrash won it in 2019 and boom Corowa galloper Front Page won this year’s edition.

He’s only raced at Randwick twice and figured in the placings on both occasions but Scott said it’s important he has another look around Sydney’s premier racecourse.

So part of the plan will be to test him against the country’s best sprinters in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m), where, ironically, he’ll meet Nature Strip, as his major Kosciuszko lead up.

“It is going to be throwing him in the deep water,’’ she said.

“We want him to go around and have a blow out and if he could run a good race it’d top him off.

“It’s a Group 2 but he’s a 96 rater so there’s not many other options.

“He’s not a fresh horse and he needs to have a race, his best form is when he’s had a run so that’ll be the race that gives him a little blow out.”

The Premiere is run two weeks prior to The Kosciuszko, on October 3.

The third running of the $1.3m The Kosciuszko (1200m) at Royal Randwick will be held on October 17 and the $5 tickets are on sale via TAB outlets and the TAB app until midnight Monday 7 September with the 14 winners drawn on September 9.

The 14 winners can then enter into a partnership with the owners of their preferred horse, effectively becoming a part-owner for the day, and agree to a split of the prizemoney.