Brett Robb will return to the Country Championships final with Sizzle Minizzle

Sizzle Minizzle's second place finish in Sunday's qualifier at Coonamble was good enough to book a spot in the $500,000 Country Championships final at Royal Randwick.

Clint Lundholm's Listen To The Band won the race but Robb told Sky Thoroughbred Central he was happy to see the three-year-old Sizzle Minizzle run so well.

"We gave him the long trip away knowing it was going to be about three weeks between runs," he said.

"We've had him for a long time, he's fit and we thought if we gave him a good run it would keep him ticking over."

After a run in a TAB Highway Handicap at Rosehill back in February, Robb gave the gelding a short break before Sunday's race and will now have to consider what to do before the Country Championships final on April 1.

But even after the race, Robb admitted he and his team won't get too carried away with preparing for Royal Randwick

"He's a pretty straightforward horse," he said.

"He's easy to train, we will just keep him ticking over at home."

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Brooke Stower had been fortunate enough to ride both Listen To The Band and Sizzle Minizzle, telling Sky Thoroughbred Central she was impressed by Robb's gelding.

"Wow, what a nice horse," she said.

"He is only a young horse going forward and it's a credit to Brett Robb and his team to have him going that far forward.

"He is still doing a lot wrong in his race, instead of being four-wide facing the breeze I opted just to go forward.

"It was an awkward gate and we just got stuck wide. If he had a better run in the race, it could've been interesting."

Having been battling for the lead over the back half of the race, Sizzle Minizzle lead for a short amount of time before Listen To The Band kicked away but Stower believes the gelding found another gear when challenged.

"One hundred per cent," she said.

"He gave it his absolute all, obviously Listen To The Band is a really nice horse.

"He's got a lot of improving left to do but he is an improving horse for sure."

This will mark the second time Robb has headed to the Country Championships final after Great Buy won the 2022 WRA qualifier.

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