Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Jockey Tommy Berry is keen to repay the faith of Olentia’s connections and avenge the mare’s luckless first-up defeat when they return to Randwick on Saturday.

Tommy Berry (Pic: Bradley Photos)

It was there for everyone to see that the Chris Waller-trained mare had a major hard luck story to tell from her resumption in the Triscay two weeks ago and Berry is confident, at his second ride on the four-year-old, he can set her up for a shot at a Group 1 by getting the job done.

Olentia was $2.10 with TAB on Thursday to get back in the winner’s stall in the Group 2 $300,000 Proven Thoroughbreds Guy Walter Stakes (1400m).

“Chris is very loyal, sometimes things happen in racing you can’t help,’’ Berry said.

“For Chris to put me back on it shows his loyalty and his confidence that I can get the job done.

“She’s found a perfect race to stamp her authority and if she wins she might be a good chance in a Coolmore with a light weight.”

The Triscay (1200m) was Olentia’s first defeat when presented fresh from a spell but Berry said it was obvious she should have won the race.

Berry threw in a protest for interference early in the race by the winner Semana, adamant it cost him being in a winning position, but stewards dismissed the objection saying the 1000m was too far from home to be satisfied it was the difference.

To make things worse, Berry had to bank on a run opening up on the inside and forced his way through along the rail while the winner had momentum happening down the outside.

“She didn’t have any luck, that comes a bit with her racing style of getting back,’’ he said.

“You’re going to find bad luck on different occasions.

“She’s drawn well again in what’s not an overly big field. She’s the horse ready to win in the race even though there’s a few classy runners like Duais and Hinged.

“But Hinged hasn’t quite been up to the form she once was and Duais is at her best over further.”

Import Buckaroo didn’t have the best of fortune in his first start for Waller when fifth behind Fangirl in the Apollo Stakes (1400m) and Berry says he’s a horse to keep an eye on.

While the entire has the job of turning the tables on Fangirl in he Group 1 $1m Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m), he feels the finishing position was a little unfair on Buckaroo.

“A gap opened up between Militarize an the runner to his inside and I anticipated it would stay like that but it shut,’’ he said.

“He had to come around heels, he didn’t really get out until the furlong and he did a good job to finish where he did. If he got clear running I have no doubt he probably runs second.”

Buckaroo has drawn the inside while Fangirl jumps from the outside gate so that gives Berry some hope he could give the race a shake.

Olentia runs second at Randwick on February 17

“He should be able to hold a closer position from the barrier and he’ll be hard to beat, hopefully there’s a little bit of give in the track because he does enjoy that,’’ he said.

“She’s drawn wide so she’s going to have to go back to last, he might be able to be more prominent in the run so hopefully that makes it harder for her.”

Tommy Berry on Manaal (race 5): “She gets in with level weighs so that makes a big difference. She gave them all weight the other day and ran home in the quickest last 600m of the race so she’s done a good job. She’s drawn well and I think Randwick will suit her better than Rosehill.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting