The Kosciuszko betting preview & best bets | Randwick 15/10/2022

What	The Kosciuszko 2022
Where	Royal Randwick Racecourse – Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031
When	Saturday, October 15, 2022 \| 2:50pm AEDT \| Race 5
Prizemoney	$2,000,000
Distance	1200m
Status	Special Conditions
Conditions	Set Weights + Penalties \| 3YO & Up
2021 Winner	Art Cadeau (3) \| T: Terry Robinson \| J: Tommy Berry (57.5kg)
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The 2022 Kosciuszko will be the co-feature event on Everest Day as a full field of 14 do battle over 1200m at Randwick on Saturday with the winner taking home $1 million. Last year’s winner, Art Cadeau, will be attempting to defend his crown. With $2 million in prizemoney up for grabs, many of the New South Wales country trainers have aimed their horses to peak for The Kosciuszko.

Online bookmakers have opened with the Brett Cavanough-trained It’s Me as the $4.60 favourite, while Far Too Easy and Front Page are the equal-second favourites at $5.50 apiece. Handle The Truth ($7) and Anethole ($11) round out the main fancies.

The speed map will most likely be determined by barriers, with Le Melody, Front Page and Talbragar looking as the three potential leaders for this year’s Kosciuszko. Behind the leaders, the barrier draw will be what stops a horse sitting three wide, as there are quite a few who will want to be on-pace or just better than midfield.

Art Cadeau, Another One, Far Too Easy and Mnementh will look to lob in those positions from lower barriers. At the back of the field we will find It’s Me, Anethole and Irish Songs, who will all be extricating wide on the turn to make their play.

Continue reading for HorseBetting’s top selections and $100 betting strategy for the 2022 Kosciuszko.

The David McColm-trained Far Too Easy will come to Randwick for only the second time in his career, looking for win number seven at start 12. This son of All Too Hard had a very nice trial at Eagle Farm on October 4 where he sat out the back in the five-horse field and, when James Orman loosened the reins, let down nicely to take it out by half a length. Orman has chosen to follow this four-year-old gelding down to Sydney, which is a very strong push that this horse is going well and will be a strong chance to take home the $1 million winner’s cheque.

It’s Me comes into The Kosciuszko under somewhat of an injury cloud after presenting some bruising only a few days out from raceday. This six-year-old mare has opened as the $4.60 favourite with Australian betting sites, but there has already been some backing for many of the other horses around her in the market after finding out about the injury cloud. This daughter of Shamus Award was very impressive in winning her first-up run at Eagle Farm over 1000m, but she was then beaten by the very smart Shades Of Rose over 1200m in the Group 2 Sheraco Stakes on September 10. It hasn’t been the greatest lead up this week for the favourite, and by raceday she could drift out of favouritism.

Handle The Truth will be running in his fourth Kosciuszko after winning the race in 2019 and running second to Art Cadeau last year. If the rain comes again on Saturday and we race on a Heavy track, this gelding’s chances could be elevated.

The undefeated Talbragar will be looking for win four at start number four when he takes on his first race in town, after winning all of his races at Tamworth and Narromine. This gelding has some hope as he will be on speed, which could be advantageous over 1200m.