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By Ray Hickson

Reigning Newhaven Park Country Championships winning trainer Brett Robb regards Gallant Star as his best chance of going back-to-back in the 2024 series.

It’s a big call as he still has Sizzle Minizzle set to try and defend that title and both horses will clash come the $150,000 WRA Country Championships at Coonamble on March 17.

Brett Robb and Sam Clipperton with the Country Championships trophy. (Pic: Grant Guy)

But after Gallant Star overcame a wide ride to win the TAB Highway (1200m) at Randwick it appears likely jockey Sam Clipperton will side with the up and coming gelding who Robb rates his number one seed for the series which will boast a $1 million Final for the first time.

“This horse is a perfect candidate for that race in 2024,’’ Clipperton said.

“Today was D-Day in the sense that we wanted to see him come out and perform well, and he did just that.

“He showed all the key attributes of a horse that can stand a high pressure race.

"He had to knuckle down that last 100m when the second horse challenged but he’s a horse Brett’s got a big rap on and so do I.”

The four-year-old raced three and four wide near the tail of the field and produced a big finish, running a 34.39 last 600m (Punter’s Intelligence) to reel in Life’s A Party who looked the winner when she burst through at the 200m.

Robb said he’ll give Gallant Star some time between runs before returning to Randwick for his final lead up into the Coonamble race.

“I’ve always thought he was a very good horse, and I always thought he was a horse that could win a Highway but we had some setbacks early on,’’ he said.

“The 1400m won’t be any drama to him so that will be his grand final. He had to do it the hard way, he covered a lot of ground, but it was a very good win.

“I think having the (tie-back) operation did him the world of good because he had time to mature. He’s not the 1000m-1100m horse he was as a two-year-old, he’s going to get a mile I reckon.”

Given Clipperton's rap on Gallant Star, Robb will be on the lookout for a new rider for Sizzle Minizzle who is back in work since contesting the Kosciuszko in October.

He said the defending champ, who became the first horse from the Western District to win the Final at Randwick, after finishing second to Listen To The Band at Coonamble, will have one trial and one race before making his bid to qualify again.

The Newhaven Park Country Championships series for 2024 kicks off at Lismore with the Northern Rivers Country Championships run on February 17.

All the results and replays from Saturday’s Randwick meeting