Wagga preview: Beer building with a Swagger

Mitch Beer will travel to Wagga on Thursday with a strong hand but it’s Kembla Grange where the Albury trainer hopes to be making his mark soon enough.

Beer announced last week that he would be opening a second stable at the Illawarra Turf Club with 20 boxes at the track.

The affable conditioner has made his mark in the bush and is keen to take the next step in his training career south of Sydney in October.

“It’s something we’ve put a lot of time and resources into from last winter to this winter,” Beer said.

“The stable is growing and we have a better class of horse and clients so we are excited to make the move.”

Beer still plans to keep a large part of his focus in country racing and heads up the road to Wagga with six runners.

Swagger ($9.50) and Seventh Seal ($34) will take on the feature of the afternoon when they contest the Union Club Hotel Ian Reid Sprint Open Handicap (1200m).

Swagger was a brilliant winner over 1400m last time at the track while it’s set to be the swan song of Seventh Seal’s career.

“Swagger won like Winx the other day,” Beer said.

“It’s a good race for an open sprint, it’s half a midweek race so it’s pretty strong.

“I think Holly Durnan has had two rides for two wins on him and he goes well fresh.

“Seventh Seal will go around but that’s probably it for him.

“He has been a good old horse for us, I think we paid 12 grand and he’s won four or five for us and placed a heap of times.”

Well In Sight was also nominated for the race but will head to Canberra on Friday instead.

Meanwhile, Diacos ($3.60) will have his second start for Beer’s yard in the Ruby Tuesday 4YO & Up Maiden Plate (1200m) after moving from Peter and Paul Snowden at the beginning of this preparation.

“I don’t know if the track will get dry enough for him but if it ends up being a Soft 5 he will be pretty hard to beat,” Beer said.

“He has one run for us but I shouldn't have ran him on the soft track because the Capitalist’s just don’t get through it.

“He should improve out to 1200m with the fitness run under his belt.”

Black Tahitian ($4.60) has placed in two of his three starts this preparation including a last-start third at Corowa.

He gets his chance to put a second win on the board in the D & S Taber Electrical Class 1 Handicap (1000m).

“Black Tahitian should be thereabouts, back in a Class 1 which is a step back in grade for him,” Beer said.

“It looked like a nice race at Narrandera for him the other day until they had to call them off.

“But he is racing well and is knocking on the door.

“If he brings his first-up run there, that should go close to winning there.”

With Southern Highlands set to be scratched from an awful draw, Beer‘s other runner on the card is Nossenko ($5.50) in the WDF Accounting + Advisory Benchmark 66 Handicap (1600m).

Nossenko was previously trained by Simon Zahra but got his first win for Beer at Narrandera last start.

“She was a pretty hot sort of filly when she came to the stable and she‘s really turned around a lot in a quieter environment,” Beer said.

“She was really good the other day and just had a fitness run first up and then she was great over a mile albeit in a low grade.

“If it gets to a Soft 6, she will run and run really well.”

Rocket ready for Kosciuszko launch

Scott Spackman has his sights set on the $2m Kosciuszko with sprinting talent Rocket Tiger while his stable weapon’s sister makes up part of his Wagga Wagga assault on Thursday.

Rocket Tiger was due to trial after the last on Spackman’s home turf but landed among the emergencies and had a gallop on Wednesday morning instead.

“I might try to give Rocket Tiger a trial somewhere and then go to Melbourne or the Highway on the 16th (September) but not sure how much weight he will get,” Spackman said.

“I think he has come back in great order this time and it's just a matter of onwards and upwards with him so hopefully we can get him in the Kosciuszko.”

Rocket Tiger was last seen finishing fifth in the Wagga Town Plate before going for a break.

His sister Smokin’ Cod will return from a spell of her own in the Wagga RSL Club Showcase Class 3 Handicap (1200m).

The classy daughter of Cluster is a $9 chance in her return with Shaun Guymer aboard.

“She will probably need the run but she has been going OK,” Spackman said.

“We missed a jumpout with the wet weather down here and I would have loved to just give her one little jumpout.

“She has shown me she is ready to go the races and she‘s got a hell of a sprint on her when she wants to let go.”

Yet Tobe A Cod ($6.50) is the shortest of Spackman‘s chances with the bookies in the Ruby Tuesday 4YO & Up Maiden Plate (1200m) after returning from a break with a determined second at Wagga.

Spackman trained the gelding‘s mother Yet Tobe Convinced and believes he has got better with age.

“He has very similar traits to his mum,” Spackman said.

“We gave him those educational runs and he was just learning his trade.

“He has come back really good.”

Promising three-year-old He‘s My Warrior will have his first start for the stable in the Andersens Flooring 3YO Maiden Plate (1200m).

He’s My Warrior, to be ridden by Josh Richards, won his most recent trial and is a $23 outsider in the opening event on the afternoon.

“He didn't run much time in his trial but I liked the way he did it,” Spackman said.

“He’s a very progressive type of horse I feel and I think he will be all right down the track.”