Well In Sight’s first step to The Kosciusko starts on Saturday
Albury trainer Mitch Beer is daring to dream that Well In Sight can be competitive in The Kosciusko on October 15.
To do that, he knows his three-year-old will need to run well in the $100,000 Highway Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
But Beer believes the only way is up for his improving filly.
“She’s going really well. Her trial the other day at Albury was really good,” he told horsebetting.com.au when asked about his $6 winning chance with Palmerbet.
“I put another nice horse of mine, Sunrise Ruby, in it (who won the jumpout, Well In Sight finishing second on June 20) and she got pushed along and looked like she had plenty to give on the line.
“So she’s come through it well, and I think she’s a pretty nice filly in the making.
“She’s on a Kosciusko campaign if she’s good enough. We spelled her to bring her back, and to think about going to a race like that.
“That’s what you’re here to prove in these types of races, much like plenty of other country NSW trainers.
“I’m sure the favourite (Shalstar at $2.40 for Paul Messara) would be heading down that kind of path as well.”
Well In Sight’s last start saw her step up to the $750,000 Inglis Sprint at Flemington on March 5, finishing 12th from 13 runners.
But before that she won the first three starts of her career all at Albury through January and February.
Beer believes his young sprinter was not overwhelmed by the company she was in last start.
Rather, he feels she was simply too tired.
“She had a good spell and so I hope she can get to a pretty decent level this time in,” he said.
“I think she’d had enough. It was probably one run too many. She had her three runs at home.
“She handled the whole thing well, but it was a tough trip away from home as well.
“She’s a very straightforward horse. I was disappointed with the (Inglis Sprint) result – I wasn’t disappointed in the horse.
“I think she probably would’ve got beaten in a better Class 3 race. It was just one run too many, and I think she’s come back better.
“She’s a stronger, more physical version of herself and her work has been better this time in leading into her first-up run than what it was last time.”
If the miserable Sydney weather continues, that won’t bother the Beer stable.
“We’re in a good position coming up – it looks like we’re getting plenty of rain, and she won on a Heavy 9 first-up last time in,” he said.
“So I’m not stressing about the weather too much.”
Beer could not have spoken any more highly of the Highway Handicap races, or the opportunities country NSW trainers now have to win lucrative prizemoney on offer to them.
“They (Highway Handicap races) are great. To come up and race for $100,000 it’s phenomenal. I think we’ve won five or six now,” he said.
“We’ve also got three-year-old Hardware Lane running in a three-year-old race ($150,000 Handicap over 1100m at Rosehill), and he won a Highway (at Hawkesbury on April 30).
“He’s well in the market for a good three-year-old race. It just allows those country horses to make the transition from country to metro, and there’s some fantastic money on offer to do it.
“And we’ve got between 30 and 40 owners coming tomorrow to watch her race. It’s great to get these people from far and wide in NSW to town on Saturday and see their horse run.
“As an ex-Victorian, these races were some of the biggest drawcards for packing up in Victoria and moving to country NSW with races like the Highways, Kosciusko and country championships.
“Not only at the top (for good metropolitan trainers) is it very good, but to be a country racehorse trainer there’s no better place to be than in NSW.”
Odd’s for Well In Sight at Rosehill
Race 1 – 
#9 Well In Sight (7)
3yo Filly | T: Mitchell Beer | J: Hugh Bowman (56kg)