Trainer Mitch Beer went agonisingly close to pulling off the biggest win of his burgeoning career after Redouble finished second in The Kosciuszko at Randwick on Saturday.
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After an economical run in the $1.3-million feature, Redouble burst through on the fence to hit the lead 100m from home with jockey Tommy Berry aboard and looked the likely winner.
However, Redouble was denied victory by the Brett Cavanough-trained It's Me who produced a barnstorming finish out wide on the track to score a thrilling last stride victory by a head.
While Beer couldn't have been prouder of the performance of Redouble, he conceded he was beaten by a better horse on the day.
It's Me is undefeated in four career starts and has now stamped herself one of the most promising sprinters in the nation who boasts a devastating turn of foot.
"Watching the race unfold, I was concerned he wasn't going to get a crack at them when he was bottled up on the fence in the straight," Beer said.
"To Tommy's credit he stuck to the fence and when he burst through to hit the lead he had every chance.
"But the horse is a bit of an old stinker and when he hits the front has a tendency to prick his ears and switches off and thinks the job's done.
"But after watching the replay, if It's Me had a better run and got out a bit sooner, it probably wins by further.
"It's pretty clear we got beat by a better horse and we had to give it 6kg.
"I don't think my horse could have run any better."
Redouble collected $260,000 for running second in the world's richest race for country trained horses.
Beer said he would split his training percentages with his staff who have supported him during COVID-19.
Some of his Victorian staff were forced to relocate to NSW during the pandemic.
Beer said he would take an enormous shot of confidence from the performance of Redouble.
"To be able to get Redouble to peak and run one of the best races of his career is very satisfying from a training perspective," he said.
"It just gives me a bit of faith in what we have been able to achieve in a short period of time since relocating.
"It proves the system and training methods we have in place are working.
"Redouble has come from a leading Sydney trainer with some of the best training facilities in the country."
