Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Far Too Easy has always been a horse that needs some luck in his races but trainer David McColm says he’ll need a different kind of luck than what's normal to him if he’s to snare a deserved big race win at Newcastle on Saturday.

Trainer David McColm (Pic: Trackside)

The Murwillumbah trainer will venture to Newcastle as a trainer for the first time, he recalls a few trips there in the late 70s when he was a young apprentice, with his two-time Kosciuszko placegetter for the $1 million Newcastle Herald Hunter (1300m).

It’s been a deliberate move from McColm to target the Newcastle feature after the five-year-old’s third placing behind Front Page in the Kosciuszko last month after he learned a lesson last year.

Following his second in the 2022 Kosciuszko, Far Too Easy contested what is now the Barn Dance a couple of weeks later and it didn’t see him produce his best form.

“We could have gone for the Barn Dance but The Hunter has been on my mind for a while,’’ McColm said.

“Last year when we backed him up from the Kosciuszko he wasn’t anywhere near as dynamic as he normally is.

“What he does need is spacing his races. He puts in 100 per cent every run and if you back him up you’re going to flatten him.”

It’s hard to believe that Far Too Easy, $5 with TAB on Wednesday, is only five as he emerged in the Country Championships series in early 2022 and has been at the top of country racing since then.

McColm was proud of the gelding’s performance in the Kosciuszko where he produced a sizzling last 600m of 32.66 (Punter's Intelligence) as he ran into third behind Front Page over the Randwick 1200m.

“All honours to Front Page, he’s a lovely horse and can run great time over 1200m and in reality he wouldn’t be too far behind them in an Everest,’’ he said.

“My horse was enormous, his sectionals were outstanding. He’s had to do it tough in every run this year. Looking back at the Kosi, he can’t beat Front Page over 1200m but if it was 1300m it would be a different ball game.”

So with barrier one and a drop to 54kg in the Hunter, McColm is confident that new jockey Jason Collett won’t have to concede quite as much start to his rivals but is well aware that barrier one also brings with it the potential to be held up for runs.

“We’re still going to need luck and that’s the way it is but we’ve got the right jockey, we’ve got the right gate, the barrier is better than the ones we’ve been getting,’’ he said.

“We just haven’t had a lot of luck and I’m just hoping everything falls into place. This is a tough field but on his sectionals he won’t be far away.”

While he has a Northern Rivers Country Championships and a Group 2 placing to his name, alongside those Kosciuszko placings, McColm said Far Too Easy dearly deserves a big race win and few would argue that he doesn’t.

He’s adamant the best is still ahead of the horse and will certainly be back for another shot at The Kosciuszko in 2024.

Far Too Easy runs third in The Kosciuszko

“We’ve nurtured him and looked after him, we’ve tried to make sure he has a long career and hopefully we will reap the benefits of that,’’ he said.

“This is only his 19th start and he’s only had six starts this year.

“The thing about him is he’s very consistent. He runs an honest race every time we put him out there and as long as I do my job, and keep him fit and happy, he does the rest.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Newcastle meeting