![Our Last Cash winning at Wagga earlier this year. Picture by Les Smith Our Last Cash winning at Wagga earlier this year. Picture by Les Smith](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/8tYDWUpBiaA8SfdG6xkddz/14358b43-a05c-4adc-bc17-60a3d8078e18.jpg/r0_118_2953_1890_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
ALBURY trainer Donna Scott believes an outside barrier may be a blessing in disguise for Our Last Cash in Saturday's $2 million Kosciuszko.
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Scott's heart sank initially when Our Last Cash came up with barrier 13 of 14 in the country feature at Randwick.
It continued a tough road to the Kosciuszko after only picking up a slot a week out due to the withdrawal of Talbragar.
But after having time to consider the draw, Scott is convinced the wide barrier can work in Our Last Cash's favour.
"Your first initial reaction is disappointment but then sitting back and having a look, especially how he raced up here (in Sydney) last time, I'm not sure it's a bad thing," Scott said.
"It gives him plenty of air, especially how he likes to race and how he's been racing at Flemington.
"Out there, he'll be left to his own devices as to where he wants to go. As my foreman Maddie said, we might have been concerned if he drawn two, whereas out there, it's probably not bad a slot I don't think."
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Scott will generally leave jockey Rachel King to her own instincts but does have the preference of pushing forward on Our Last Cash.
"Yeah I think that's probably our instructions, not that I like to give too many to riders in these positions," Scott said.
"I think it's a fairly straight run to the first corner. I'm nearly 100 per cent sure they're going to be going at a good pace and that just allows Rachel to bounce out there and be a bit positive and hopefully we can just stalk them."
Early in his career, Our Last Cash had a habit of getting back in his races and producing a strong finishing burst.
It was earlier this year when Danny Beasley took Our Last Cash to the front at Wagga and he produced a phenomenal effort, trouncing his rivals over 1300m by just under seven lengths.
He has since successfully been ridden on the speed, including his two wins at Flemington this preparation.
Scott has not ruled out leading the Kosciuszko if the opportunity was there.
"If we happen to bounce a length clear, Rachel can make that decision from out there, if no one's going forward she can come across," Scott said.
"If he happens to jump clear and wants to go and nothing else does, we're happy to take it up. We know we're fit and that sort of stuff.
"I think from out that barrier, if he got in behind them, he would overrace and cost himself. Hopefully from out there he can slot across, just have a suck run and pull him out and hopefully we chase them and get someone near them."
![Our Last Cash winning at the Wagga Gold Cup carnival last year. Picture by Les Smith Our Last Cash winning at the Wagga Gold Cup carnival last year. Picture by Les Smith](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/8tYDWUpBiaA8SfdG6xkddz/5d476782-6102-4ead-bce4-45377acbb72a.jpg/r0_13_2953_1673_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Our Last Cash is a $34 chance with TAB but Scott is confident the six-year-old will run a big race.
"There's a lot of horses coming off trials and there's nothing like race fitness. We're not there with any big expectations, we're glad we're in it, it's a tough race, there is horses with strong form and we're going to have to step up," she said.
"Whenever I take a horse to the city, I just want them to perform. Someone has got to run last but you hope it's not you.
"If he can just contain himself to some degree, you'd like to finish in the top half of the field. If he can do that, does every right....I don't deny our record is probably why the price he is, he hasn't won a race up here yet but I hope it's this one.
"I couldn't be happier with him. It took him a while for his coat to come out, I was concerned with his first win at Flemington, I like their coat to be an indication and he was still a bit wooly. As much as we didn't get a slot earlier, it's probably planned out as good as I could have imagined to have planned going into it."
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