It could all end in one Fell Swoop

The emotion down the other end of the phone might have you thinking otherwise, but it comes from the potential end to a wonderful ride on Fell Swoop. Albeit with the loss of a couple of mates along the way.

Canberra's Paul Armstrong has truly been there from the start. Fell Swoop's mother Touched In Flight was the first horse he bought into.

He kept a share in her colt that Canberra trainer Matthew Dale bought for just $45,000 and has been enjoying the journey ever since.

From Fell Swoop's first race - finishing second in a two-year-old handicap (1000 metres) at Wagga Wagga six years ago - to potentially his final one - the Wagga Town Plate (1200m) on Thursday.

He'll be potentially joined there by two other Dale runners, Man Of Peace and Super Star Bob, although one of those will probably be scratched.

Fellow Canberra trainer Luke Pepper also has Viceroy entered - although they're all rank outsiders.

Fell Swoop has had everything in between his two Wagga Wagga runs. From the highs of winning listed and group 2 races. Narrowly missing out on group 1 glory. Placing behind star sprinter Chautauqua in not one, but two TJ Smith Stakes. Getting a run in the inaugural $10 million Everest. Amassing almost $2 million in prize money.

To the lows of finishing last in the inaugural Everest thanks to a terribly timed case of the thumps. And having a career-threatening leg injury. Of mates and co-owners Rob Barnes and Mark Richards dying along the way.

But it's been a wonderful ride for the builder who, because of the coronavirus, will have to watch Fell Swoop's potential swansong on television rather than at the track.

It had him choking up reflecting on the past decade.

"It's been pretty good," Armstrong said with a tear in his voice.

"You can tell I'm a bit emotional. It really has been fantastic. When you get into racehorses you dream of getting a good one.

"He never won at group 1, but he was beaten a bee's dick a few times and a bit unlucky too. He really should've won the Oakleigh Plate and the Manikato [in 2016].

"They're probably two that I think were his to win, but a bit of bad luck along the way. But if that's our biggest complaint I don't have too many.

"There's probably been a bit of sadness along the way, a couple of blokes [dying] ... but it's a happy story, not a sad story."

Now retired on the banks of Lake Macquarie, co-owner and former ACT MLA Mary Porter will also watch from afar for potentially the last time.

She was there in Wagga Wagga with her husband Ian de Landelles, who also has a share in the horse, when the now eight-year-old made his debut.

Having grown up with a love of racing, de Landelles has dreamed of having a horse good enough to run in a race at the Riverina town's two-day carnival - having been to many over the years.

Ironically, he's finally achieved that. But can't be there to watch.

Instead, they'll watch on together from the Central Coast.

"A bit of a fizzer, a bit of a let down, but we'll watch it and cheer him on and I'll keep my fingers crossed," Porter said.

"But many people are having to experience losses at the moment. To us this is hardly anything compared to the losses that many people are experiencing right now - to not be able to be there with their loved ones when they're sick or dying.

"Missing out on being able to be at a horse race pales into insignificance doesn't it, along with all the other pain that people are putting up with."

But they were there for The Everest. The richest turf race in the world.

All the hype of the build up. All the media attention. For a group of largely Canberran owners.

And then the heartbreak of the aftermath. When he finished last. Well behind winner Redzel. A case of horse's hiccups forcing the big-hearted gelding to run below his best.

"It was just a dream really and the way we were looked after by Inglis, who had lunches and dinners for us and really made us feel as though we were part of the Inglis team," de Landelles said.

"Unfortunately he got the thumps and finished last, but they can never take away from us that we had a runner in the first ever Everest.

"There's only one first Everest and we were one of the 12 horses in it. Now it's worth $14 million and talked about around the world."