If you ask history, it’ll tell you that rising star Gringotts will have to be every bit as good as he looks to win Saturday’s Group 2 $2 million The Ingham (1600m) at Randwick.
Private Eye for that matter too.
Tommy Berry (Pic: Steve Hart)
But jockey Tommy Berry doesn’t care much for history. You can respect it but at the same time it’s there to be broken.
And that’s what will happen if Gringotts carries the 60.5kg to victory.
In metric times, Monton’s 58kg back in 2011 is the record weight closely followed by Utzon’s 57.5kg five years earlier. If you want to go pre-1972 and dust off the record books then 61.5kg (9 stone 10 pounds) back in 1918 is your high mark.
Against that, the latest iteration of what was the Villiers Stakes is attracting a stronger field each year and Berry said we still probably haven’t seen Gringotts hit his career peak.
“I don’t think we do know how good he is yet,’’ Berry said.
“He’s a horse that seems to grow in confidence with his wins which is quite interesting and he feels like he’s a better horse every time he steps out.
“It’d be nice to get the job done and go out with a pretty much faultless end to his prep and make it into a weight-for-age horse next preparation.
“It’s going to be tougher than his last couple but he’s going to be there for the challenge. He’s there for everyone else to beat. But it’s his race to lose.”
The Ciaron Maher trained gelding, $3.90 with TAB on Friday, has been a revelation this year and this preparation particularly as he looks to add The Ingham to his Big Dance and The Gong trophies and his $2.47 million earned in his four start campaign to date.
He’s had to do it the hard way in those victories – from barrier 19 in the Big Dance and with 60kg and barrier 14 in The Gong – so Berry said a kinder draw is a blessing.
“I got to the point with him where if I’d drawn bad it didn’t matter because he’s done it before,’’ he said.
“But he’s back at the Randwick mile and he’s got natural speed. It does make his job a lot easier, especially as he is getting up in weight, so it’s nice to draw well.
“He keeps raising the bar each time he’s getting more weight which he obviously deserves through the way he’s doing things and he seems to be coping with it well.”
Berry said he’s keen to see what Gringotts can do when he’s given the chance to rest during the race and come with one burst.
“He still feels like he’s floating when he’s out in front, he’s only learned to race that way his last couple and it’s not his usual preferred pattern,’’ he said.
“I’m looking forward to finding a back on Saturday and letting him use that turn of foot he’s got.
“If he’s to get beaten I wouldn’t be disappointed because with that sort of weight it’s hard to do and you have that class of Port Lockroy and Private Eye in there as well.”
Telling is considered a double figure odds chance in the $500,000 Inglis Nursery (1000m) but it wouldn’t surprise Berry if the colt runs above his assessment.
Trained by Peter Snowden, the youngster made his debut with a third over 900m at Newcastle but after a spin at trackwork this week Berry was encouraged.
“I gave him a gallop on Tuesday morning and I was happy with the feeling he gave me,’’ he said.
“He showed a good turn of foot and was strong through the line. I’m glad he’s drawn well because we can have him wherever we like.
“He has speed if we want to use it, but he feels like he’s going to be better once he gets out over further.”
The popular jockey hopes to open the Randwick card with a win on Zoubaby in the Midway Handicap (1200m) as the filly prepares for a Magic Millions campaign.
– Racing NSW
