IBLE’S LONG WAIT AT HOME WITH INTERESTING COMEBACK HORSE

JOE Ible doesn’t have a runner in his home track $1m feature The Gong tomorrow – but it will still be a big day for him.

And a long one at that.

The Kembla Grange trainer has a representative in both the opener and final of 10 races at the metropolitan stand-alone meeting, with the latter one of the most interesting of the day.

He takes the former promising three-year-old Kandos Cosmos to the races for the first time in nearly three years.

Jean Van Overmeire has ridden the six-year-old horse in both recent trials, and partners him in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m).

It will be Kandos Cosmos’ first start since finishing an unlucky third to Kovalica in the Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes (2100m) at Eagle Farm in December 2022.

Two runs earlier he had run fourth in the Group 3 Spring Stakes (1600m) at Newcastle before breaking through at the same track 15 days later over 1880m.

Experienced Hawkesbury trainer Terry Croft prepared Kandos Cosmos for his seven starts, and was hoping to get him to the Group 1 ATC Australian Derby (2400m) at Royal Randwick in the autumn of 2023.

Unfortunately he went amiss, and the horse’s owner Mal Russell has given Ible the task of getting the stallion back to the races.

“I’ve been training for Mal for about nine months, and he now has four horses with me,” Ible said this morning.

“Kandos Cosmos has been with me for about two and a half months, but he had plenty of grounding before he arrived at Kembla Grange.

“He had tendon problems, but so far it’s all good with him and he is definitely ready to begin a new campaign.

“Obviously it’s a bit of an unknown regarding tomorrow’s return, being away from the racetrack for such a long time.

“The distance is short of his best, but I’m happy with the horse and kicking off at home is a good starting point.”

Ible also is looking forward to his opening runner Vintage Choice (Ash Morgan) starting a new campaign in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1400m).

The UK import has been placed four times when fresh without winning, and his trainer is trying something different with him this time.

“Vintage Choice raced really well earlier in the year and both qualified and finished an excellent fifth at big odds in the Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m) at Randwick in April,” Ible said.

“I decided to kick him off at 1400m this time, and am confident I have done enough with him to have him fit for tomorrow’s assignment.

“Vintage Choice has had two good trials, and I’m putting a tongue back on him.”

Story John Curtis, November 21, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos