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By Ray Hickson

Under normal circumstances, if Dubbo trainer Brett Robb was to win Sunday’s $150,000 Newhaven Park Western Districts Country Championships he’d say it’d be the highlight of his week.

Brett Robb with Great Buy (Pic: Janian McMillan)

Robb has three runners in the Coonamble feature headed by the promising Great Buy, a horse he also owns 50 per cent of, but a win will play second fiddle to becoming a father with partner Maddy Wright on Wednesday.

The birth of Archie James Robb has given the trainer that extra spring in his step and he hopes it transfers to Great Buy who will be having his second shot at the Country Championships though it’s unclear whether Robb has told the horse this time around.

A year ago, as he was building up to race at Coonamble, Great Buy threw Robb and charged into a fence injuring a shoulder.

He recovered in time to tackle the race second-up but the preparation didn’t go to plan and he finished midfield.

“When we got him in my brother in law (part-owner Tony Kilmartin) said ‘what do you reckon, go to the Country Championships?’,’’ Robb said.

“I said ‘nah I mollycoddled him last year, we’ll get him in and try to win a race with him’.

“I knew he could gallop but last year but I mollycoddled him too much to try and get him to the Championships.

“But everything has worked out good with him, touch wood, he’s come right about the right time. If Great Buy won the Championships it’d top the week right off.”

The gelding did have a minor mishap while in the paddock but since returning to work the only way has been up and it shows in his form.

He was beaten three lengths in the Highway first-up from a break then went to Dubbo and split Lockdown Gamble and Tags, who subsequently finished third and second respectively in the Central Districts Country Championships.

That run really encouraged Robb and on Championships Day at Mudgee the five-year-old raced away with Benchmark 66 over 1200m and proved he’s right on target.

“He’s trained on really well since then, it’s given him that bit of confidence,’’ he said.

“He’s full of himself at home. I was keen to see how Lockdown Gamble went that day, and the way Great Buy raced you think he’s got to be in with a chance. I think he’s a way better horse this year.”

Great Buy, to be ridden by Michael Heagney, is on the third line of betting with TAB at $6 behind defending champ Activation ($2.50) but does have gate 14 to contend with.

Stablemate Beau Factor might be a $21 chance but Robb sees him as a real improver who could easily put himself somewhere in the finish after a gutsy third behind Cracking Mo at Mudgee two weeks ago.

The four-year-old tracked wide in the run on that day and Robb said he’ll be asking Jackson Searle to be more positive on the horse on Sunday.

“He drew a bit sticky the other day and we wanted to ride him with cover,’’ he said.

Great Buy wins at Mudgee on February 27

“If he’d have gone forward it might have been a different outcome. He’ll be ridden a bit differently, he’ll be ridden where he’s comfortable and not dragged back.

“He’s improved since that last run which he probably had to.”

Robb said he often works Great Buy and Beau Factor together and in their work there’s not a lot between them.

Boys Home is the emergency for the Country Championships race and if he does get a start Robb will be happy to send him around but he sees that horse as an ideal prospect for the 2022 Picnic Championship.

The plan is for Maddy Wright to be back in the saddle to ride him by the time the picnic series comes around and no doubt young Archie will be trackside to cheer her on.

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday's Country Championships meeting at Coonamble