2025 The Kosciuszko: Defending champ Far Too Easy is out
Reigning champion Far Too Easy won't be eligible to defend his The Kosciuszko crown this spring with trainer David McColm eyeing off another $2 million feature on The Everest day.
Far Too Easy claimed the state's richest country sprint at his third attempt last spring after a pair of near misses in the race.
The build up for this year's Kosciuszko began in earnest on Tuesday with TAB sweepstakes tickets for slot holders going on sale.
• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
But a stable move from Murwillumbah to the Gold Coast has ruled McColm's stable star out of a fourth tilt at the 1200m feature.
'It weighed heavily on our minds (to delay the move) but it was a bit of a difficult one,' McColm said.
'We've got 16 boxes on the Gold Coast. We had been at Murwillumbah for 30 years so it's a massive undertaking and for the family to pack up, move schools, and stuff like that, it's daunting in that respect but from a training point of view it will be nice.
'There are a couple of different races we are looking, one of them on The Everest day (the Sydney Stakes), so we will be back down in the spring, it just won't be in the Kosciuszko.'
The Group 3 $2 million Sydney Stakes (1200m) is also run on October 18 at Royal Randwick, less than an hour before the $20 million The Everest.
• Via Sistina's back … and she has some familiar targets in mind
Far Too Easy was on the third line of betting at $8 for The Kosciuszko.
Two-time The Kosciuszko winner Front Page, runner-up in last year's race, is the $4 early favourite for this year's feature sprint with Clear Thinking at $6 and both Gallant Star and Know Thyself at $8.
Sweepstakes tickets will be available until Monday, September 8 with 14 tickets drawn on September 10.
Winning ticket holders will then negotiate a slot deal with connections of NSW country or ACT-trained horses.
Far Too Easy is a $4.50 chance to end his winter carnival preparation on a high note in Saturday's Listed $300,000 Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast.
A second crack at the Listed $200,000 Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton on July 16 is off the table for Far Too Easy.
Originally published as The Kosciuszko champion Far Too Easy won't defend his country sprint crown in 2025
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