By Greg Prichard
Albury trainer Mitchell Beer says he feels like a caged lion as he awaits the running of the $1.3 million The Kosciuszko at Randwick on Saturday, so excited is he about his horse Redouble's chances in the race.
"Mate, I'm very excited," Beer said.
"The horse galloped in-between races at Albury last Saturday and was so impressive. If he can't run well on Saturday then I don't know what you need for him to finish in the money in a race like that. He's going super.
"He galloped against Sky Call, which won a heat of the Country Championships in the autumn, because I haven't got anything else that can go with him.
"I was really pleased with what I saw on Saturday, but even more pleased on Tuesday morning to see how well he was. He was jumping out of his skin. The best of his form over his last five-to-10 runs is good enough to win this race.
"I just wanted to see him fresh now, and he is. He's a seven-year-old looking and feeling like a two-year-old. I wouldn't change a thing.
"The race can't come quickly enough for him and it probably can't come quick enough for me either, to be honest. I'm a bit of a caged lion at the moment.
"I'm over the moon with the horse. I'm thrilled with his work and his soundness is good. I had the vets here on Tuesday, we trotted him up and went right over him.
Redouble wins a trial at Wagga on September 19
"I can't believe the horse's price but that's the bookmakers' department, not mine. I'm just rapt with the horse going into the race."
Redouble, which has accumulated almost $1.3 million in prizemoney, was formerly trained by Bjorn Baker in Sydney and has run mostly in Group and Listed-class races over the last 18 months.
He will be having his first run for Beer.
Beer wasn't concerned ahead of the barrier draw and now that the horse has drawn the inside gate it will give jockey Tommy Berry the chance to jump and then assess how quickly horses are coming across before trying to put him in the right place in the run during the 1200-metre race.
"We want to ride the horse quietly," Beer said.
"They'll go quick up front and he's best ridden with a sit.
"Tommy was booked for the ride a long way out. He wanted to ride the horse before we even had a slot. He showed great faith and I hope he runs well for my staff, too. They've got a lot riding on the horse as well.
"I told them when all the stuff was going on with the border issues, making their lives difficult, that wherever the horse finished in the 'Kozzie' I'd go halves in my percentage with them. So they're pretty excited.
"He's got a high rating among the horses going into this race and if he runs to that, well, I think he's got an enormous chance."
All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's TAB Everest meeting at Randwick