Dubbo trainer Brett Robb remains hopeful his star galloper Sizzle Minizzle catches the eye of the final Kosciuszko ticket holder as he prepares the gelding for a shot at the $2 million feature.
The Newhaven Park Country Championships winner took part in an exhibition gallop in front of a huge crowd on Dubbo City Toyota and Gilgandra Toyota Dubbo Gold Cup Day, with former champion jockey Greg Ryan in the saddle.
“He’s gallop was good, we didn’t ask him to do too much, but he’s come up really well,” Robb said.
Sizzle Minizzle (Sam Clipperton) wins the 2023 Country Championships Final at Royal Randwick. Image by Bradley Photographers
Robb, who was the 2021/2022 NSW Country Trainer of the Year has partnered with Ryan – the winner of over 4000 races, with the pair overseeing the fine tuning of Sizzle Minizzle as they plot a path to the Kosciuszko.
“He’s come back really well. We are trying to keep him fresh and keep the speed in his legs.
“If you watched his trial he showed some good speed early, but if he gets a spot in the Kosciuszko, he’ll be right in behind them and I think he’ll be strong for them in the finish,” Ryan said.
Robb said: “Greg rides all his fast work he has done since he came back in, the more and more Greg rides him the more he likes him. After his gallop the other day Greg came back and said “you’ve got a serious horse here Snow.”
Robb travelled to Tamworth in late August to trial Sizzle Minizzle, where it and Talbragar spacing the rest of the trial field in a perfect Kosciuszko hit-out.
Sizzle Minizzle shocked the racing world when taking out the $500,000 Newhaven Park Country Championships Final back in April, defeating confirmed Kosciuszko slot holders I’ve Bean Tryin’, Talbragar, Bianco Vilano and Akasawa.
From there the son of Sizzling finished fourth in the Group 3-Hawkesbury Guineas behind Hawaii Five Oh, with that runner going on to run third in the Group 1-Stradbroke Handicap.
Robb has a short campaign planned for Sizzle Minizzle, with a Benchmark 78 Handicap over 1100m identified as the perfect first-up race for the gelding and hopefully from there, the Kosciuszko beckons.
“I don’t think they would go wrong if they picked him – he’s spelled, he’s come back bigger, he’s come back stronger, and he’s come back better,” Robb said.
– Racing NSW
