Graham prepares Victorem, the early favourite for the $1.3 million race for country-trained horses over 1200m at Randwick on October 19 - the same day as the $14 million The Everest.

But she hopes to again have two in the race with Awesome Pluck also a prime contender.

Both ran in the race last spring. A very heavy track brought Victorem undone and he finished fifth, while Awesome Pluck was third.

But Victorem had previously won the $500,000 Country Championship final at Randwick in the autumn of 2018.

These major successes have seen new owners flock to her and the size of her stable increase by 50 per cent.

"Around three years ago we had anywhere from 10 to 13 horses at one time," Graham said.

"Now we're up to 18 and I'm getting phone calls quite regularly from people wanting to place horses with us because of the sort of races they're eligible for and the money they can win.

"It's not just the Kosciuszko and the Country Championships either, although that's obviously the peak. It's the TAB Highway Handicaps you can aim at in the city as well that are an attraction.

"We've had such a good run with Victorem and Awesome Pluck, winning and being placed in high-quality races, and it has definitely made a difference. There's no doubt about it, winning has been great for the business.

"It's not just people from the country wanting to race with us either. It's interest from city owners as well because they see what can be done with a good horse raced out of a country centre.

"Just in the last 12 months we've picked up at least six new city owners. People I didn't even know. It's great and this is what's driving them , 100 per cent - the lovely races that are available for their horses.

"We've got a couple of nice new two-year-olds, a nice three-year-old - some good horses that are going to be pressing forward. Twenty is the most horses I could have - that would have me full."

How The Kosciuszko works is that $5 tickets in a draw for the slots can be purchased through a variety of TAB outlets until September 8. The draw is made on September 10. The slot-holders then do deals on agreed prizemoney splits with connections of horses they want to run for them.

There will no doubt be a dash by slot-holders to try to pick up Victorem, but Awesome Pluck should find it easier to get a start this year than last year as well. He only got a late start after all of the slot-holders had made choices, because one of the chosen horses became ill and had to be scratched.

Graham intends racing Victorem first-up in The Kosciuszko, but Awesome Pluck is set to race once ahead of the big event.

"Victorem is a nice fresh horse," she said. "If he gets the work under his belt he does his best first-up and he's done very well in his work so far.

"Awesome Pluck is a horse that wants a little bit of racing before he's at his best. He still runs well fresh, but he's not as easy to get right as Victorem is. Hopefully Awesome Pluck gets a run in The Kosciuszko and I will look for a race to place him in before that."

Graham said winning The Kosciuszko was now the biggest goal of her career, but that winning her home-town cup at Port Macquarie still wasn't far behind.

"It's so exciting, what The Kosciuszko and the Country Championhip have done for racing on the Mid-North Coast and other country areas," she said.

"It would be unbelievable to win a million-dollar-plus race like that. It would be great to win the Port Cup one day as well.

"Many trainers up here are picking up new horses from owners who want to aim at these huge city races for country-trained horses. They see a horse has won a big race from this area and naturally they hope their horse can do the same. It's great for everyone involved up here."

- Greg Prichard writes for Racing NSW

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