Trainer David McColm’s proud winner of the $2 million Kosciuszko Far Too Easy will attempt to land his first Group race success when he tackles the $1 million, Group 2 The Hunter over 1300m at Newcastle on Saturday.
Like everything else he has had to endure and overcome in a life checkered with off the track adversity … from watching flood water rise around him to combating a severe health threat … Far Too Easy will have to earn the win.
It won’t come any other way, but, then again, the son of All Too Hard’s fighting spirit when tackling … and beating … those obstacles away from the track, along with his focussed determination when sent out into the heat of battle on the track, has never been in question.
The respect for Far Too Easy is there in the betting with the six-year-old currently marked up as the race favourite ahead of the Joe Pride trained Private Eye.
With Craig Willaims, who partnered Far Too Easy in that Kosciuszko win, staying in Melbourne for their Group racing action on Saturday, McColm has turned to Brisbane based jockey Kyle Wilson-Taylor to take the reins on Far Too Easy on Saturday.
“It was good to get the call-up. Obviously, David and I have done a lot of work together and it’s good to get back on his flagship horse,” said Wilson-Taylor.
Wilson-Taylor has partnered Far Too Easy on three previous, well spread-out occasions, including the run immediately prior to his Kosciuszko success, a warm-up run (on September 14, 2024) in which he finished fourth.
“The first time was over 1000m (back in August 2022) which wasn’t a suitable distance … and then I got on him in a Group 2 (in June 2023) where he ran second (behind Prince Of Boom),” said Wilson-Taylor.
“He has come back better than he was before … which is crazy, when you think about it, with all he has been through.
“He’s got an awkward gate on Saturday, but if there is any horse that can overcome it, it is him.
“Someone has got to have bad draws, but he’ll make his own luck and I’m sure he will be there in the end.
“Hopefully, he can repeat the dose of what he did the last start.”
