A STRADBROKE TIP. UNDERESTIMATE THIS KOSCIUSZKO WINNING PAIR AT YOUR OWN PERIL

By Graham Potter | Friday, June 13, 2025

From the country they come … with a $1.8 million first prize on the line.

Front Page and Far Too Easy have won the last three editions of The Kosciuszko, a $1 race restricted to country trained horses in New South Wales. Front Page was a back-to-back winner of The Kosciuszko in 2022 and 2023, while Far Too Easy denied Front Page the hat-trick by winning the 2024 Kosciuszko, a race in which Front Page finished second.

Now the connections of both of these horses are licking their lips at the prospect of a far more tasty feast of fortune with both Front Page and Far Too Easy preparing to face the starter in Saturday’s $3 million Stradbroke Handicap.

The Matthew Dale trained Front Page was in action as recently as last Saturday where he confirmed his current well-being by taking out the Group 3 Moreton Cup in a run which gave him a handy, renewed look at the Eagle Farm track.

Front Page had raced at Eagle Farm once before … a year ago when he finished fourth behind the now dual Group 1 winner Antino in the Group 2 Victory Stakes.

In the four starts Front Page has had in-between his visits to Queensland, the son of Magnus finished second in the Kosciuszko at Randwick, second in the Listed Welcome Stakes at Flemington and gave a huge sight when finishing second in the Group 1 Galaxy at Rosehill, where he came home less than a length behind Private Harry carrying 2kg more than the winner.

The Galaxy was Private Harry’s fifth consecutive win and a result saw him maintain his unbeaten record. He has since secured a slot in the $20 million The Everest, which will be held in October this year.

In his last run before returning to Queensland, Front Page finished unplaced in the Quokka at Ascot in Western Australia, the fourth different state he has competed in over the last twelve months.

You could say he is something of a travelling man.

Then came last Saturday’s win at Eagle Farm which allayed any concerns about the Quokka result. He does have to deal with a seven day back-up but, for all intents and purposes, Front Page looks good to go. He is currently quoted at $26.

For his part, the David McColm trained Far Too Easy didn’t fire in the start after his Kosciuszko win when he stepped up to Group 2 level in the $1 million The Hunter at Newcastle.

He was then given a five-and-a-half month break away from race action and, on resuming, he was again not quite in the mood in the Group 2 Victory Stakes, finishing down the field, just as he had done in The Hunter … but it was a given that neither of those runs came close to representing Far Too Easy’s true ability.

That is why his back-to-best runner-up finish behind War Machine in the Group 3 BRC Sprint … second-up … was such a welcome and well-timed showing, putting him firmly back on track for his Stradbroke assignment which he will tackle third-up and likely to carry improvement out of that BRC Sprint run.

To put that result in perspective, Far Too Easy carried 2.5kg more than War Machine that day and was beaten by 2.63 lengths over the 1350m trip. In the Stradbroke there is a significant 3kg weight turnaround in favour of Far Too Easy.

War Machine is the dominant Stradbroke favourite at $3.20. Far Too Easy is a $41 chance.

Mark them up any way you want price-wise … but just beware.

Neither the Goldbourn based Matthew Dale or David McColm, who calls Murwillumbah home, are bringing their horses to Eagle Farm to make up the numbers.

Underestimate them at your peril.

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