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By Ray Hickson

It might be a big call but jockey Tommy Berry believes Laws Of Indices could be one of the stars of Australian racing in the next 12 months.

Jockey Tommy Berry (Pic: Steve Hart)

And he says things could be falling into place for the Annabel Neasham-trained import to post his first Australian Group 1 win in the $500,000 Furphy Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Berry rode the four-year-old at his local debut in the Golden Eagle last spring and after watching from the sidelines as he resumed with an eye-catching fifth behind Lost And Running in the Southern Cross Stakes (1300m) it only backed up his opinion.

“I said to Annabel after I rode him in the Golden Eagle that this could be your best horse next season,’’ Berry said.

“He sat four and five deep an pulled his head off in that race.

“I know that’s a big call because she’s got a good stable including Mo’unga and Zaaki.”

Laws Of Indices posted the fastest last 600m of the Southern Cross, running 33.56 (Punter’s Intelligence), as he worked home from near last behind Lost And Running.

That was on a good track. He has experienced heavy ground twice in Europe running third in a Group 1 at Longchamps and a fifth in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Ascot. His Group 1 win in France was in trying ground at Deauville.

“He was very good first-up, he ran very quick sectional time,’’ Berry said.

“He’s won on basically a heavy track at Group 1 level overseas. He ticks a lot of boxes.”

Joe Pride certainly has no concerns about a heavy track first-up for Epsom Handicap winner Private Eye and the fact he’s conditioned the gelding with three barrier trials is an added bonus.

The four-year-old is unbeaten on heavy ground and the Canterbury Stakes is an important step for him towards completing the Epsom-Doncaster Mile double next month.

“I’m really happy with him, he’s the one I’m most excited about having back at the races,’’ Pride said.

“When I pulled him out of the paddock he was always going to have three trials.

“It’s turned out a coincidence we are on a heavy track and those three trials are probably going to be even more beneficial.”

Private Eye will head to the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) in two weeks in what will be his final lead up into the $3m The Star Doncaster Mile.

Meanwhile, Berry is quietly confident Golden Slipper-bound filly Russian Conquest will cope with the heavy ground in the Group 2 $300,000 Yarraman Park Reisling Stakes (1200m).

Laws Of Indices' first-up run in the Southern Cross

He only has trackwork data to work with to form that view but everything about her is encouraging.

“I worked her on what would have been a heavy 10 track on Tuesday morning and she worked quite well on it,’’ Berry said.

“But they’re on the bit and you aren’t letting their head go on it.

“It gave me confidence going into the weekend, she’s not an overly big filly but well put together and she skips over the ground quite well.”

Russian Conquest hasn’t raced since her narrow second to Golden Slipper favourite Coolangatta in the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast in January and is second favourite in Slipper betting at $9.

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