Troy O'Neile always thought Cassy's Sister would come into calculations for The Kosciuszko but the Tamworth trainer says there's been more talk than he expected.
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After winning a Class 2 Handicap a year ago, O'Neile told The Leader Cassy's Sister had "a big future" and since then the four-year-old has progressed through the ranks.
O'Neile said Cassy's Sister's name had been tossed around "quite seriously" by punters he'd spoken to in regards to The Kosciuszko.
"Especially after the run the other day in Grafton - she's definitely been talked about," O'Neile said.
That run was in the Country Magic Association Class 6 Showcase Plate (1175m).
In a thrilling finish Cassy's Sister came second, 0.06 lengths behind The Drake and 0.10 lengths in front of Ice In Vancouver.
It came after a last start third in a Benchmark 68 Handicap in Wyong while the mare also won the Jardel Cup at Tamworth in April.
In particular, the second placing at Grafton filled O'Neile with confidence.
"It was phenomenal. It shows the level she's up to," he said of Cassy's Sister.
"The horse that run third [Ice In Vancouver] was a contestant in The Kosciuszko last year and The Drake is being talked about this year. It showed she's well up to the level.
O'Neile added: "There's been more talk than I expected. I expected her to come onto the radar but the amount of talk and publicity has surprised me a little bit.
"She did win the Jardel Cup two starts back on Tamworth Cup day and made them look second rate in that.
"She's definitely put the form on the board and franked it with that run at Grafton. So she's definitely on the radar."
For now, Cassy's Sister has gone to the paddock for a spell but O'Neile will be ready if a winning ticket holder offers a slot to the mare for The Kosciuszko which is run over 1200 metres.
O'Neile said Cassy's Sister "loves her food" and would need a couple runs leading into the $1.3 million race.
"Depending on the talk, what sort of hype there is and how much interest there is in The Kosciuszko... if she goes that way, she will have to be back in early to mid August to be ready for The Kosciuszko," O'Neile said.
Ben Jaffrey
Ben is a content curator and journalist for The Land. He has been with ACM since 2015 and first worked at The Area News and then at the Northern Daily Leader. Ben first joined ACM Agri as a digital journalist for all seven agricultural mastheads in 2022 before shifting to The Land full-time in 2023.
Ben is a content curator and journalist for The Land. He has been with ACM since 2015 and first worked at The Area News and then at the Northern Daily Leader. Ben first joined ACM Agri as a digital journalist for all seven agricultural mastheads in 2022 before shifting to The Land full-time in 2023.
