Adelaide radio personality and TV presenter Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello has encapsulated his love for his SAFM co-host, horse racing and South Australia’s iconic frog cakes in his latest filly.
‘Rebecca Horse’, named in honour of his breakfast show co-host Rebecca Morse, is set to make her debut in Race 3 at Balaklava on Wednesday. The 3-year-old was initially entered to run at the race meeting scheduled at Gawler on 21 July, however the meeting was transferred and will now be held on Thursday (29 July) due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
“My horse Rebecca Horse jumping out yesterday. Trained by Ryan Balfour Racing at Morphettville. Her first start is only a couple of weeks away. Four years in the making,” Costello wrote on Facebook in June with a video of the horse at Morphettville.
“Named Rebecca Horse after my love for my co-host Rebecca Morse, trained by Balfour due to my love of frog cakes,” he added.
The bay filly was purchased by Morphettville-based Balfour after being passed in at the Magic Millions sales, with the local trainer helping to give Cosi the idea for the light-hearted name.
“Ryan describes her as feisty but a stunning looking horse which I thought was similar to Bec, hence the name,” Costello said.
“We (Bec and I) have a joke around it all the time.”
The SAFM breakfast team has been following the progress of the horse closely.
With South Australia still under COVID restrictions, the race meeting at Balaklava will be a no-spectator event limited to essential racing personnel only. Racing enthusiasts are able to watch the races live on free-to-air TV on Racing.com, Channel 78, and Sky.
Cosi, a long-time champion of SA thoroughbred racing, grew up on the Yorke Peninsula and studied agriculture at Roseworthy College.
The first horse he owned was trained by Balfour’s father David which he purchased around the same time as his media career began 20 years ago.
As well as hosting on SAFM, Cosi also heads up lifestyle TV program “South Aussie with Cosi”, which has recently found a new home on the Seven Network.
Rebecca Horse is sired by the stallion Sizzling out of the dam Devotee. Costello currently owns 100% of the filly but hopes to syndicate her out to friends.
