It’s that time of the year when country trainers look at which horses might fit the bill for The Kosciuszko and Tamworth trainer Mel O’Gorman is more than happy to throw the aptly named So Country’s name into the ring given the horse has already been a pleasant surprise.
The four-year-old has won three of his seven starts, and finished second in the other four, and O'Gorman, who ran second with Suncraze in the inaugural $1.3m The Kosciuszko, would like to think the best is yet to come.
So Country was retained by O'Gorman, who purchased him for $100,000, and partner Duncan McRae after an injury forced him out of the breeze up sales as a younger horse, he was also knocked back by Hong Kong after a trial win in early 2021, and he'll chase successive TAB Highway (1200m) wins at Rosehill on Saturday.
"It's such great prizemoney, it's lovely to own 50 per cent of the horse myself,'' she said.
"It may have been a blessing in disguise I didn't sell him as a breeze up horse early on.
"He had an injury just before the breeze up and we had to pull him out of the sale so we decided to give him time to mature.
"Winning a Highway was always my plan and what I was hoping for, anything else from here is a bonus. He's done a terrific job, has a great record, is such an honest horse and we head into the race with no pressure and to enjoy the day."
Suncraze won successive Highways in the winter and early spring of 2017 and ran a close second in what would become a precursor to the inception of The Kosciuszko, a $200,000 Anniversary Highway, on the inaugural TAB Everest Day that year.
He graduated through the Country Championships in 2018 before being secured for The Kosciuszko, where he beat all but Belflyer. O'Gorman said The Kosciuszko has changed over the years and believes So Country has already done enough to warrant consideration.
"The way the race has changed, with how horses are getting into the race, the last couple of years there are horses there that have come off maiden wins at Scone that were in the race,'' she said.
"It was nice to run second in it before, it would be lovely to have another horse in the race.
"I don't think he would be the worst horse in the race if he went into it right now."
As for Saturday's task, O'Gorman said she can only expect So Country, $5.50 with TAB on Thursday, to continue his good form in a race that looks very similar to the edition he prevailed in two weeks ago.
However, it will still be a test going into a Class 3 as he rises 0.5kg and will meet placegetters Sir Ravanelli and Rebel Dreamer worse at the weights.
"He won very well first-up with a big weight. I think he is in good shape and pulled up well from the trip to Sydney a fortnight ago so I expect him to run another good, consistent, race,'' she said.
"I didn't think it looked to be too big a step for him."
Former Godolphin galloper Transformation is likely a future Highway runner for O'Gorman and he'll be making his stable debut in the NSWROA Trophy (1100m).
The three-year-old was a maiden winner at Hawkesbury in February before being sold and while he has trialled well the trainer says this is merely a starting point.
"It's a hard race and I'm just getting to know the horse,'' she said.
"He needs a couple of runs before he can be eligible for a Highway. I've taken the blinkers off and would like to ride him quiet, hopefully where the horse can get cover and teach him to settle.''
The $5 tickets for The Kosciuszko are on sale now via TAB venues and the app until September 7 with 14 winners drawn two days later.
