Listen To The Band won the WRA Country Championships qualifier

Fresh off winning the Western District Country Championships qualifier at Coonamble on Sunday, Lundholm paid respect to one of his biggest rivals.

Lundholm dominated Sunday's field, having nine of the 14 runners while Brett Robb also had three as the pair finished first and second respectively.

Listen To The Band won the race for Lundholm ahead of Robb's Boom Boom Basil and the victorious trainer told Sky Thoroughbred Central he believes Dubbo trainers deserve more respect.

"I knew 'Snow' (Robb) was going to put up a big fight," he said.

"He had some nice horses there and it just shows that out at Dubbo that we aren't weak, we've got the right horses.

"We've just got to keep punching up when get going."

Heading into the race, a lot of punters had fancied Lundholm's Watch Me Rumble ($4.20) but Listen To The Band ($6.50) was also well respected.

It was Boom Boom Basil ($4.80) who got out of the barriers best to lead during the early stages while Amulet Street ($7.50) looked strong as well.

Robb's Boom Boom Basil continued to lead the race before Sizzle Minizzle ($10) took over proceedings with Listen To The Band hot on his tail.

The pair were neck and neck as the field rounded onto the straight, battling for the lead for much of the run home until Listen To The Band kicked away late to take the win and qualify for the final at Royal Randwick.

Sizzle Minizzle finished a very respectable second to also qualify for the final, while Lundholm's Smooth Esprit ($21) and Hit The Rim ($41) rounded out the minor placings.

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Sunday's result marks the second consecutive year Robb and Lundholm have had runners finish inside the top two after the former's Great Buy won the 2022 qualifier ahead of Amulet Street.

But after finishing second in two qualifiers previously, Lundholm admitted it was nice to finally get the top spot.

"It's where I was born, it was where I grew up," he said.

"My pop was here and did what he did over numerous amount of years.

"I just feel very proud to carry the name and still race those horses as well as having the success we are."

Earlier in the day, jockey Jake Pracey-Holmes signalled his intentions for Listen To The Band to lead the whole race but Lundholm was a bit nervous when it didn't eventuate.

"I wasn't too confident coming on the back straight and it wasn't too pretty either," he said.

"I was looking for the backmarkers coming home.

"I just don't know how good this horse is, every time I step the benchmark up he just keeps stepping up to it.

"He is eight years old and is just killing it. He's an absolute beast."

Just six starts ago, the eight-year-old gelding hadn't even won a race and now has qualified to run in the $500,000 final at Royal Randwick, somewhere his trainer believes he can make a statement.

"They sort of knew what we wanted to do and we were going to try to make our case pretty early on," he said.

"He just didn't step away and didn't want to be there so look I think that shows with this horse that you can race him from anywhere.

"If he draws a marble in Sydney, watch out. He's a horse like I said you keep stepping him up and he steps up to the mark."

Boasting a stable of 74 horses, Lundholm has also took the time to give a special mention to his group behind the scenes.

"I'm super proud of my team," he said.

"They've done so well and here he is winning the Country Champs (qualifier) in one preparation for us.

"It's been an absolutely amazing job by them and I cannot thank them enough.

"It's a credit to the team."

Now an $11 chance according to TAB for Country Championships final, Lundholm believes the gelding can cause a few headaches.

"He's in up to his eyeballs," he said.

"He was still able to hold them off and they'll know he is there."

The Country Championships final will be run on April 1.

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