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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Clint Lundholm has the ‘Band’ back together – Listen To The Band, that is – and has his sights set on the Newhaven Park Country Championships in 2024.

Trainer Clint Lundholm (Pic: Janian McMillan).

The nine-year-old was set to be the fairytale story of the Western region earlier this year when he went from a Warren maiden win to a dominant victory in the Championships race at Coonamble only for it to turn into a nightmare as injury cost him his chance at Randwick.

It’s easy to forget that Listen To The Band clearly had the measure of subsequent Country Championships Final winner Sizzle Minizzle when they clashed at Coonamble.

Lundholm said the gelding has been building up slowly since he began pre-training in mid-October, with short stints in his Dubbo stable, and is excited by what he’s seeing.

“My opinion is the horse is flying, they’d want to be good to beat him,’’ Lundholm said.

“If anything he’s come back better. I know he is a day to day proposition but he’s 100 per cent sound.

“He’s had a jump out here at home and went like an absolute machine.”

It’s been a big job from all concerned given Listen To The Band needed surgery for knee issues after he won at Coonamble at what was just his ninth race start.

Listen To The Band is due to return to full work in just over a week and Lundholm already has the plan in place to have him ready to go come the $150,000 Newhaven Park WRA Country Championships (1400m) on March 17.

He’ll likely meet Sizzle Minizzle again in that race with Brett Robb confirming the reigning champ will be given his chance to win his way to Randwick again.

“He’ll have two trials then come to Sydney for a high benchmark race over 1200m, hoping he runs a big race and that sets him up to hit the Championships second-up,’’ Lundholm said.

“It was shattering not to get there this year but we’re back on path and we’re good as gold and fingers crossed we can get him through to the big one.

“It was exciting to see one from our area knock them off and take the big prize. Snow (Brett Robb) is a good mate, as disappointing as it was for us it was still good to see him win it.”

The 33-year-old trainer’s Country Championships team suffered an early blow with the likes of Quasimoto and Wolf Bay needing spells so they won’t be taking part but Lundholm said last start Orange winner Transplant will be bound for Coonamble.

The six-year-old mare has won four of her 19 starts so Lundholm doesn’t have a lot of room to move given the 20 start limit for eligibility but says she’s earned the right to tackle the race.

“Transplant won a 74 at Orange the other day and beat some nice horses over the 1400m,’’ he said.

Listen To The Band wins 2023 WRA Country Championships at Coonamble

“We’ll bring her back and set her on that path.

“She races up on speed, Coonamble will suit her if they don’t get rain she loves the hard tracks. For the owners in her she’s worth having a crack.”

The Newhaven Park Country Championships Final, run at Randwick on April 6, carries $1 million in prizemoney for the first time in 2024.

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