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By Ray Hickson

The fairytale will continue to Royal Randwick after eight-year-old Listen To The Band claimed a special win for trainer Clint Lundholm in the Newhaven Park WRA Country Championships (1400m) at Coonamble.

Clint Lundholm (second from right) and connections of Listen To The Band. (Pic: Janian McMillan).

The Coonamble born and raised Lundholm saddled up nine of the 14 runners in the $150,000 feature and it was the horse that he wasn’t supposed to train that handed the 33-year-old his first win in the race.

Listen To The Band’s story has been well told in the lead up to the race, he didn’t make his debut until he was five and spent two years on the sidelines after that through injury.

He inadvertently arrived at Lundholm’s Dubbo stable over a year ago, he did a couple of weeks work and it was discovered he needed surgery for bone chips.

Lundholm thought he would be retired but the gelding would have none of it, he eventually made it to full fitness and his Championships win was his fifth in six starts since his remarkable comeback.

“He wasn’t meant to be on the truck. The fairytale story, we’ve pulled it off and we’re off to Randwick,’’ Lundholm said.

“I’m super proud of my team, he’s eight years old and here he is winning the Country Championships in one preparation for us. It’s an absolutely amazing job by them and I can not thank them enough.”

Jockey Jake Pracey-Holmes signalled his intention to lead the race earlier in the day but Listen To The Band had other ideas and he had to revert to Plan B.

The gelding settled midfield and was sent around them to join Sizzle Minizzle in the lead and they settled down to fight the race out until Listen To The Band asserted some authority late and ran out a one length winner. Smooth Esprit, also trained by Lundholm, finished third.

“It wasn’t pretty the way it was done. I just don’t know how good this horse is, every time I step the benchmark up he keeps stepping up to it,’’ Lundholm said.

“He’s an eight-year-old and he’s just killing it, he’s an absolute beast.

“We were going to try and make our case pretty early in the race but he just didn’t step away and didn’t want to be there.

“I wasn’t real confident coming into the straight. I was looking for the backmarkers.

“I think that shows you can race him from anywhere and if he can draw a marble in Sydney watch out. He’s in it up to his eyeballs. They’ll know he’s there.”

Lundholm may have won his first Country Championships but he’s already been to the Final twice.

He qualified Sons Of Bourke in 2019 with a second placing but last year's runner-up Amulet Street gave him a huge thrill when he ran a brave third in the $500,000 Final at Randwick.

Listen To The Band’s win moved him to $11 in TAB’s all-in market while Sizzle Minizzle is a $34 chance.

Listen To The Band wins WRA Country Championships

Brett Robb won the Coonamble race a year ago with Great Buy and said Sizzle Minizzle’s trip to Sydney for his previous start toughened him up to find his best form.

Jockey Brooke Stower said it wasn’t ideal being stuck wide early so she elected to press forward and was rapt with the three-year-old’s effort in making the winner work for the win.

“What a nice horse. He’s doing a lot wrong in his races yet,’’ Stower said.

“We just got stuck wide, if he’d had a better run in the race he’d have made it interesting. Obviously Listen To The Band is a really nice horse but I think he’s got a lot of improving to do and he’s an up and coming horse.”

Check out the replays and results from Sunday's Coonamble meeting