Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Everything about the preparation Gringotts has had into Tuesday’s $3 million Big Dance (1600m) tells jockey Tommy Berry he’s ready to win the third edition of the Randwick mile.

Tommy Berry (Pic: Bradley Photos)

Everything except the barrier, that is.

Berry has some recent experience at the Randwick mile with such a gate that Gringotts is faced with, having piloted Tom Kitten into second in the TAB Epsom from 19 just a month ago, but feels he has the horse to overcome it.

“It’s frustrating to draw where we did because he’s primed to win the race,’’ Berry said.

“He’s well and truly the best horse in the race but it does make it tricky from out there.

“He’s got some natural gate speed so we’ll be able to use that to an extent. Good horses, when they’ve got speed, they can put themselves in a good spot.

“It’s a lot easier than drawing those gates over 1500m at Rosehill, it’s a more forgiving track when you get caught wide. We’ll do our best with what we’ve got and hopefully it’s good enough.”

The Ciaron Maher-trained Gringotts, $4 with TAB on Monday, has been narrowly beaten in both runs this spring and Berry has an interesting theory on how the Tamworth Cup winner’s second-up defeat might actually benefit him.

After a luckless second in the Group 3 Bill Ritchie (1400m), where he only saw daylight late and charged to just miss, Berry said the lack of a hard run first-up told in the Alan Brown when runner-up to Here To Shock.

“He had a perfect run in the race last start, he just raced a little bit fresh being second-up,’’ he said.

“Usually horses might be a bit flat second-up but with him having no luck first-up he didn’t get out to the last furlong then brushed up he probably went into that second run a bit fresher than he would normally be.

“He raced a bit keen and it took his turn of foot away from him a bit late, he grinded a bit more down the straight.”

While Berry will require some fortune on Gringotts, he’s rapt that his old friend Waterford has drawn to effect in the $750,000 Little Dance (1600m) where he’ll chase his fifth win on the Chris Waller-trained gelding.

The six-year-old, runner-up in the Scone Cup earlier this year, finished less than half a length behind Gringotts when he resumed in the Alan Brown almost a month ago.

He has 62kg to contend with, rising 8kg on that first-up run, and that’s where Berry says the barrier draw will be to his advantage.

“I don’t think weight would worry him too much, he’s a solid boy, but all the little things help and with that sort of weight to draw a good gate it’s going to be a help,’’ Berry said.

Gringotts runs second in the Alan Brown with Waterford third

“I’m pleased to get back on him, I’ve had a great association with him.

“He was very good first-up and he’s come on really well. He always improves with a run under his belt.

“It’s nice when you draw in on him so you can ride him a bit closer than when you draw out on him. He looks the class horse of the field.”

All the fields, form and replays for Tuesday’s Big Dance meeting at Randwick