By Craig Kerry
Tommy Berry is just glad to be back aboard Gringotts on Saturday at Randwick, but he will be even happier if rain comes in time for the group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m).
Whether that would help his chances aboard Ninja in the group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) a race earlier is another thing.
Tommy Berry after winning last year’s George Ryder Stakes with Gringotts.Credit: Getty Images
Berry reunites with Gringotts, a ride he lost when the Ciaron Maher-trained gelding changed courses last spring due to illness. Gringotts went to the Alan Brown Stakes, where Berry already had a ride, opening the door for Nash Rawiller, who guided him to second there before wins in the Big Dance and The Gong. Those wins were a repeat of Berry’s success a year earlier on the horse, which also delivered the jockey a drought-breaking group 1 victory in the George Ryder Stakes.
Berry is back with Gringotts after Rawiller opted to stay with the Chris Waller-trained Lady Shenandoah following their first-up third in the Expressway. Lady Shenandoah is a $4.80 (TAB) second elect behind stablemate Joliestar ($2.40) in the Canterbury Stakes, while the resuming Gringotts is $8.50. That gap could close if forecast showers arrive at Randwick on Saturday afternoon. Gringotts has won four of five starts on soft going and ploughed through a bottomless track to win the Gong in November.
Berry was encouraged by Gringotts’ consistent first-up runs in the past and the chance of rain-affected going.
“Last campaign, when he ran [fifth] behind Via Sistina [in the Winx Stakes], that was a massive run on a heavy track,” Berry said.
“He had a wide run and he actually loomed up to win and sort of peaked at about the 150.
“This race on the weekend, a small field, there doesn’t look to be a heap of pressure in the race. The good thing about him, he’s got great tactical speed, if you want to use it, and he’s had two nice trials.
“If it’s soft, obviously it’s not going to hurt us. It probably takes away a little bit from a Joliestar, you’d say – that’s if you’re looking to poke holes in her. But he’s performed up to the best of them in the past.”
A draw in barrier eight of 10 was not a concern for Berry, who said Gringotts had become even more versatile.
“In the past, sometimes when you woke him up, he was hard to get back, but he’s relaxing really well now,” he said.
Ninja wins the Hobartville Stakes last start with Tommy Berry aboard.Credit: Getty Images
The Michael Freedman-trained Ninja is another with wet-track form, winning both starts on heavy tracks, but Berry is unsure if rain will help his chances in stepping up to the mile on Saturday.
Ninja, an unlucky beaten favourite in the Magic Millions Guineas (1400m), proved his class with an on-pace win over top opposition in the Hobartville Stakes (1400m) last start. He is $5.50 to repeat the result in the group 1 mile and Berry believes he could handle the rise in trip, if the breaks fall his way.
“The Randwick mile is a tough mile, but because it’s not a big field and there’s not a lot of pressure in the race, it can be a pretty cruisy time down the back straight,” he said.
“There’s no rush to make a decision of how far you need to press forward.
“He’s at his home track, which he’ll enjoy, and he’s in really good order.
“Barriers don’t really worry him because he’s got tactical speed, so eight out of nine is not a big deal. The biggest question mark is the distance, but if he runs the distance, he’ll be hard to beat.
“He’s won on a heavy 9, so he’s got no issue there, but in saying that, that can make it a tougher run. It can work against him if he doesn’t handle the trip.”
Berry also teams with Freedman in the Todman Stakes, where Incognito needs to prove his Golden Slipper credentials. The Breeders’ Plate winner wore a tongue tie and performed better when fourth last start in the Silver Slipper.
“He wanted to hang in a little bit and that definitely cost him coming third, maybe even second, so there’s little things we’d like him to execute better,” he said.
“He had the blinkers on at home on Tuesday morning, and he worked really sharply, and he’s drawn a gate. Last start was a good effort, but we want to see him going close to winning with the way it sets up for him.”
Berry was excited about the prospects of Peter Snowden-trained three-year-old Raging Force, which returns in the group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m).
“I reckon he’ll go to the next level this prep,” he said. “He’s come back in great order. He’s always been a bit raw – he wanted to get on with his job at times – [but] this time he’s come in very relaxed.
“He’s got to race a horse like Giga Kick, but Giga Kick is better usually when he gets to 1200m and this is probably our chance where we might be a bit sharper than him.”
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