THE KOSCIUSZKO AND THE QUEENSLAND CONNECTION

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Could there be a Queensland ‘victory’ in the 2022 edition of The Kosciuszko?

No way, you'll say, given that the $2 million event, the richest race in the world restricted to country horses, is strictly only for country horses trained in New South Wales, … but do you seriously think Queensland won’t claim the win if Far Too Easy wins New South Wales’s country racing Grand Final on October 12.

If you look at the map showing where the Kosciuszko runners are coming from, Far Too Easy is certainly a New South Wales country trained horse, being based at Murwillumbah, but he also has a strong Queensland connection which will have many in the Sunshine State cheering him home … and he might also give the little country community of Forest Hill in the Lockyer Valley … situated some ten minutes outside of Gatton … its fifteen seconds of fame, even if most of its inhabitants won’t have any idea what all the fuss is about.

Given that both David McColm (Far Too Easy’s trainer) and Jimmy Orman (Far Too Easy’s jockey in the Kosciuszko) are both originally from Forest Hill … Queensland … it is easy enough to see why Queenslanders will claim the win if the result should come down in favour of the McColm trained runner.

Trainer Caroline Allardyce, Jimmy Orman’s mother, lives on a property just outside Forest Hill, a town she refers to as ‘the jewel of the Lockyer Valley.’

“No, it is not a racing community … not at all,” said Allardyce. “I think I’m the only one there now. Jim grew up there. He did all of his schooling there and he did his apprenticeship at Gatton.

“It is just a beautiful little place. The town is incredible. The pride people have in their town is huge … it’s got a few boutique cafes … you can’t get a park on the weekend, that’s how busy it is.”

It was the process of trying to settle on a rider for Far Too Easy for The Kosciuszko that led David McColm to the realization that he and Jimmy Orman both had Forest Hill as a common thread in their past.

“I grew up at Forest Hill,” said McColm, “where my dad managed a dairy farm. “I never realised Jimmy was from Forest Hill until he mentioned it in an interview I watched.

“Before we booked Jimmy, I went through some interviews of his to get a bit of background,” explained McColm. “I never realised he was from Forest Hill until he mentioned it in an interview. When he said he was from Forest Hill … I said, ‘what!’

“I have obviously spoken to him since then. I said, ‘we have got something in common.’ He said, ‘what’s that?’ I said, ‘we are both from Forest Hill.’ He said, ‘go away!’ He was as surprised as I was.”

“Originally, we were going to look for a Sydney rider … on the basis that they know the Randwick track well … but all of the main Sydney riders were taken already. The first ten horses that were chosen for The Kosciuszko … their jockeys were booked straight away.

“We fooled around a bit with the decision on a jockey for the horse. We really wanted someone who had ridden him (Jimmy Orman partnered Far Too Easy in its last run (and win) … Kyle Wilson-Taylor was in contention as well.

“Jimmy knows him and was very keen to take the ride and that’s the way we went.”

Putting that State Of Origin debate aside, Far Too Easy’s preparation for The Kosciuszko seems to be spot on with the All Too Hard gelding … who is a six-time winner from only eleven starts … having had a good hit out on Tuesday morning, winning an official trial at Eagle Farm.

In the days before the trial, McColm had stated, “He has done really well. We are very happy with him.

“After the trail win, McColm added, “I was over the moon with the trial. He did very well … did everything we wanted him to do, and Jimmy thought it was a great lead-up to the finale.”

Next stop … The Kosciuszko!

More articles