Far Too Easy walking a tightrope to make Stradbroke field

By Glenn Davis

Murwillumbah trainer David McColm is clinging to hope but concedes his Stradbroke Handicap ambitions with Far Too Easy are hanging by a thread.

McColm’s plans to have a last throw at the stumps to grab a Stradbroke Handicap start with Far Too Easy suffered a major setback when he was named second emergency in the Group 3 BRC Sprint at Doomben on Saturday.

Far Too Easy needs to win the BRC Sprint to gain a "golden ticket" into Queensland’s famous $3 million sprint.

The winner of the BRC Sprint gains an automatic Stradbroke start.

“This was to be his last roll of the dice to get into the Stradbroke and now we’re only an emergency,” McColm said.

“To top it off he’s drawn barrier 19. He’s drawn out wide most of his career.

“If he doesn’t get in, we’ll reassess the winter and probably go to the Listed Eye Liner Stakes.”

McColm is hopeful Far Too Easy can still sneak into the field given the early rain this week which forced Doomben to be rated a Heavy 9 at acceptances time.

“Everyone is in the same boat with the track conditions and we need two scratching's to get in so he’s definitely walking a tight rope,” he said.

The four-year-old is coming off an eye-catching sixth to the Barry Lockwood-trained Fifteen Rounds in the Listed ATC Cup over 1200 metres at the Sunshine Coast on May 6.

He was ridden by James Orman on that occasion. 

“I thought his last run was enormous although some people were disappointed,” McColm said.

“Jim Orman was a victim of circumstances and was caught between going back or forward on him.”

Orman has ridden Far Too Easy at his past five starts but cannot ride 54kgs and will surrender the mount to apprentice Kyle Wilson-Taylor if he gains a start in the BRC Sprint.

Wilson-Taylor has ridden Far Too Easy in two barrier trial wins and finished fourth on the four-year-old in his only race ride in a Class 6 race at Eagle Farm last August.

McColm is confident Far Too Easy will figure in the finish if he starts on Saturday after going down by less than one length in the ATC Cup.

“He’s going great and pulled up really well after the ATC Cup,” McColm said.

“Everything is okay with him and he should get a track that suits him this week.

“He feels the hard tracks and jars up a bit but having the sting out of the ground will be perfect for him.”