Albury trainer Mitch Beer to bring a strong team to Wagga, including last-start Highway winner Swagger

Beer will bring a strong team to Wagga's nine-race card, headed by Saturday's Highway Handicap winner Swagger.

The former Kiwi provided Beer with his third Highway win and will back up at Wagga six days later, providing the track is soft.

"I want the track on the worst side of soft for him to run. He'll appreciate getting his toe in," Beer said.

"I was very soft on him going into Sydney...and he hasn't had a saddle on since until (Thursday) morning and they were rapt with him.

"It looks a nice race for him. He gets in well at the weights so I thought why not. I think he'll be pretty hard to beat.

"Sydney is a long way to go for a horse that just got beat in a 58 last start but we've always had a decent opinion of him. It was just a combination of the horse feeling and going good, along with the right race coming up for him."

Jordan Mallyon will again be on board Swagger, from the inside gate, when he contests the D & S Taber Electrical & Solar Benchmark 74 Handicap (1400m).

Beer will also be represented by Enzed Beer, another former Kiwi, who is yet to strike success in Australia after nine starts.

"He's on his last chance," Beer said.

"He's promised the world and delivered nothing. He'll also run if its soft as well."

Another interesting Beer runner on Friday is Packer's Bond in the Bruce McMah Class Two Handicap (1200m).

The sky looked Packer's Bond's limit after the Dundeel gelding's first preparation, where he ran second on debut over 1200m, before going on to win impressively over 1600m and 2000m.

He failed to fire in his second campaign when having four starts in strong company.

"I'm really happy with him," Beer said.

"He looked very exciting in his first prep and his first up run last time over 1400 was very good.

"I think the horse is going really well, it's just about getting confidence back in horse and getting the horse confident in racing again. He's got plenty of ability and he's finally grown into himself.

"If they run along hard in front then he's a chance of coming home over the top of them. I just want to see him hitting the line."

Nick Souquet rides Packer's Bond, while Beer also has last-start winner Vinnie's Girl in the same race, with Simon Miller in the saddle.

Another last-start winner who will be on the quick back-up is Tullaghan in the Iron Jack Benchmark 58 Handicap (2000m). The son of 2002 Australasian Oaks winner Tully Thunder broke his maiden in impressive fashion at Wagga last Saturday.

"He's a really stayer in the making," Beer said.

"He's dumb and raw but I really like him."

Beer had planned on taking Tullaghan to Flemington but the logistics involved led to him opting for another start at Wagga.

Richie Bensley retains the ride.

Beer is enjoying a great run with six winners from his last 20 starters. That came after a dry patch earlier in the year, and the Albury trainer knows that's just part of the business.

"It's terrific," Beer said.

"I've learnt that this game is a massive wheel.

"A month or so ago, I've had three or five times the amount of seconds than I had winners. When you're not getting the results, you've got to stick to your guns and not lose faith.

"The best part of it at the moment, the winners I'm having aren't six or seven-year-olds with 30 or 40 starts. A lot of them are three-year-olds with upside."

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