From terrifying floods and untimely skin allergies to a nervous wait for a Kosciuszko slot.
It’s fair to say that over the past year, David Mccolm’s journey with stable star Far Too Easy has been a roller coaster and on Saturday at Randwick, the country trainer is hoping it culminates in the biggest win of his career.
McColm trains a small team at Murwillumbah in the NSW northern rivers region, one of the areas that suffered devastating flooding earlier this year.
His stables are built on a mound that sits two feet higher than historical flood levels but they were inundated, leaving his horses, including Far Too Easy, at the mercy of the water.
“It made it almost to their chests at its deepest time,” McColm said.
“It was scary….for a while, we thought it was going to keep going.
“That mound was the highest point so once the water came, there was no way of getting them out. The water around the stables was about two metres deep, maybe more.
“We just had to ride it out.”
For a small scale trainer whose horses are like family, it was a gut-wrenching time.
But they all came out the other side safely and despite his ordeal, Far Too Easy had the temerity to run fourth in the County Championships Final at Randwick not long after.
Returning in the new season on a mission to showcase his wares for a slot in The Kosciuszko (1200m), Far Too Easy did just that when he resumed with a solid fourth to It’s Me at Eagle Farm in August.
In early September, the Kosciuszko slot holders were plucked out of the raffle and Far Too Easy’s connections hoped and waited for a phone call.
As the days went by and nobody showed interest, their anxiety grew.
Then relief when a slot holder finally came knocking – Far Too Easy was the eleventh horse selected for a place in the field of 14 – but typical of their journey, the joy was short-lived.
McColm found himself confronted with another battle a week out from the horse’s next scheduled start when Far Too Easy broke out in welts and subsequent blood results revealed an irregularity.
It was touch-and-go but the horse recovered, got to the races and bolted in at the Gold Coast by more than three lengths.
Thankfully the past month has been smoother sailing and McColm – who started out as a jockey 45 years ago and has had his trainers’ licence since 1986 – has been able to enjoy the unique build-up to what is a unique event.
Arriving in Sydney on Wednesday with his family in tow, he is pinching himself to be involved in a $2 million race with a horse who has not only beaten the odds, but has worked its way into his heart.
“For me and my family, this is the pinnacle. It’s like coming to the Colosseum,” McColm said.
“It’s just wonderful to be here with such a wonderful horse. We love him to death and he is a deep part of our lives.