Tony Sergi has described his opportunity to contest next month's $1.3m Kosciuszko with stable speedster Island Bay Boy as a "once in a lifetime opportunity".
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The Queanbeyan-trained four-year-old has been snapped up for the race by a Horsley Park slot holder, who knows one of Island Bay View's owners and who was impressed by the sprinter's authoritative win on his home track last month.
It offers Sergi, a man who claimed the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) with Diamond To Pegasus 10 years ago, a shot at the biggest prize of his training career.
"I've had horses win in town but this is probably going to be the biggest thing I've ever been in," Sergi said.
"He's going to be a long shot but I rate the horse and I haven't got to the bottom of him yet so there's still improvement. He's a horse on the way up so basically you've got to give them a chance.
"He liked the wet, but he's won on a good [track] and he's won from 1200 to 1400. The distance is fine, wet track will be perfect for him for sure and you never know, the forecast there might be rain around that time, we might get lucky."
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Island Bay Boy was listed as a $21 shot with TAB on Wednesday afternoon as slot holders continued to secure horses for the race.
Canberra galloper Handle The Truth has surged to the top of the market as a $6 chance, secured last week by a local punters club which bought their tickets at the Jerrabomberra Hotel.
Highly rated galloper Front Page has been secured by Wagga interests, but is no guarantee to run in the race after being well beaten at Flemington on Saturday.
Island Bay Boy was set to run in the Federal Handicap (1200m) at Queanbeyan on Friday, with the NSW track hosting a transferred Canberra meeting, but Sergi has adjusted his horse's plan to prepare it for the Kosciuszko.
"We might just keep him and trial him rather than race him because if we win it we get more weight," Sergi said.
"We'll just hold back and give him a couple of trials instead and go in with 55 kilos."
Only three of 14 slots remain for the Kosciuszko, to be run before the Everest on October 16 at Randwick.
Boom Scone galloper Nadaraja was secured on Wednesday by another Wagga interest.