Kosciuszko Favourite On Song For Peak Run
Scone trainer Brett Cavanough is delighted with how stable stars It’s Me and Fender have worked in the lead up to their assault on the $1.3 million Kosciuszko at Randwick.
It’s Me and Fender were snapped up quickly by sweepstake winners last month and both horses have been given a freshen-up in preparation for the world’s richest race for country-trained horses.
Unbeaten mare It’s Me blasted into favouritism for Saturday’s race following a scintillating three-length win in a Tab Highway at Randwick on September 19 when she ran a shade outside the 1000m track record held by dual Everest winner Redzel.
“She has been working really well and we are very happy with everything leading into Saturday’s race,” Cavanough said.
“We are hoping to draw between (barriers) four and eight.”
It’s Me was the obvious pick for Kosciuszko sweepstake winner Bob Dailey, who owns a five per cent share in the exciting daughter of 2013 Cox Plate winner Shamus Award.
She has been allotted 53kg for the feature and will be partnered by Jason Collett, who will also ride star South Australian sprinter Gytrash in the $15 million The Everest.
High speed four-year-old Fender has won four of his five runs to date with his only defeat being a late-fading seventh in the Group Two Theo Marks Stakes where he worked hard to lead from the outside draw.
Fender is proven over the 1200m Randwick circuit having won a TAB Highway in April.
“He’s been working well too and I expect he’ll probably settle in the first four,” Cavanough said.
Fender was selected by the Super Six Syndicate sweepstake winners from the Centennial Hotel at Gulgong.
Local Graham Hillis said the town had been buzzing since news got around they were winners in the draw and a few syndicate members even made a trip to Scone to see Fender go through his paces in trackwork last Saturday.
“There are seventeen of us heading to Randwick on Saturday and we couldn’t be more excited,” Hillis said.
Fender is a $17 chance and will be partnered by Kerrin McEvoy.