Tommy Berry was reminded why Olentia deserved top billing in The Invitation after trackwork on Monday morning.
Olentia and Berry gobbled up the field first-up in the group 3 The Nivision, and the jockey is convinvced the five-year-old mare can measure up in top company this preparation.
Tommy Berry is bullish about Olentia in The Invitation. Credit: Getty Images
“I know she has an excellent first-up record, but she was brilliant the other day, and after I galloped her on Monday morning, she’s really come on since that run,” Berry said.
“She deserves to be favourite given how impressive she was.
“I know the team have been very bullish about this time in. I heard Chris [Waller] say the other day she’s a group 1 winner in the making, which tells you how well she is going at home.
“She’s put on a lot of condition and weight since her last preparation. She wasn’t far off last preparation, but she’s now made the necessary improvements in terms of strength.”
Berry rode stablemate Zougotcha first-up when they looked set to win the group 1 Winx Stakes, only to be collared by Via Sistina, who lines up in Saturday’s Cox Plate. Zougotcha then went backwards up the straight in a second-up run that was too bad to be true.
Berry still had a lot of respect for Zougotcha, a three-time group 1 winner to be now ridden by Joao Moreira.
“She was far superior at three, and my mare looks like she has caught up to her [ability wise], so it will be a very competitive race,” Berry said.
Olentia won five of her first six career starts, and can take her earnings beyond $1.5m with a win in the same race she never got warm in 12 months ago.
The top jockey is on Henlein for Sam and Anthony Freedman in the group 1 Spring Champion Stakes, and like Olentia, the colt is well in the market.
“He’s a lovely colt who I have liked since I first put a leg over him – he hit the line strongly in the Gloaming last start and will run well,” Berry said.
Still on the Spring Champion Stakes, trainer Anthony Cummings hopes the Gloaming Stakes form remains the best guide for El Castello.
Sharp ‘N’ Smart completed the Gloaming-Spring Champion Stakes double in 2022, as did Shadow Hero (2019), Ace High (2017), Vanburgh (2015), Complacent (2014) and Dundeel (2012).
“That was fairly comprehensive in the Gloaming the other day, and apart from a few fillies, there aren’t too many other horses that make the race look that different,” Cummings said of El Castello.
“He’s a well built, strong animal who has a good temperament and gives himself every chance in a race because he relaxes.
“He’s good to deal with. He gets a bit full of himself at times, but he enjoys his work and is improving all the time. When you get the horses winning and continuing to improve, that’s a good place to be.”
El Castello will push on to the Derby at Flemington on Saturday week, Cummings said, provided he ran to his potential.
As for what a win would mean, Cummings said: “You take every win you can get, and you enjoy them while you can.”
Cummings will also saddle up Strait Acer, last year’s Golden Eagle fourth place-getter, in the listed Five Diamonds Prelude.
Comedy of errors
A mix-up in colours led to Godolphin stablemates Comedy and Gaeilge being mistaken for one another during a call of a barrier trial on Tuesday.
And punters should take note if they are having a bet on the pair, who debut in the opening race at Randwick on Saturday.
Comedy and Gaeilge were correctly listed as finishing third and fourth in the trial, but Luke Marlow, through no fault of his own, called the wrong horses.
On face value, Gaeilge rattled home with Josh Parr in the saddle to clinch third, just ahead of Comedy, and produced the superior trial – but it was the other way around.
Stewards later confirmed they were planning to re-record the call of the trial late Thursday to eliminate “any possible confusion”.
Jockey Kerrin McEvoy, who rode Gaeilge in the trial, said of the mishap: “We must have had the wrong caps or something, which is why it could have been misleading [during the call]. I was three deep outside the leaders, and Josh came from behind on Comedy.
“Josh gave him a nice day out, and he was doing his best work that last furlong. He went a bit better than the one I was on. It looks an exciting ride for me.”
McEvoy said he was already booked to ride Comedy before the trial, and rated the colt, by Snitzel out of Thalia, the pick of his rides.
The hoop said Memo, Peter Snowden’s Gimcrack Stakes placegetter, the best two-year-old he had ridden this season, with the filly likely to be headed to the Magic Millions in the new year.
Godolphin will unleash a third two-year-old in the same race at Randwick, Lapis Lazuli, a filly, to be ridden by Zac Lloyd.
McEvoy also had a lot of time for Arctic Glamour in the $2m The Invitation, despite having a healthy opinion of rival Coco Jamboo, which he rode last start.
“Arctic Glamour ran great race over mile in the Epsom, and now she comes back to 1400m, which is arguably her best trip, and she’s against the mares,” McEvoy said.
“She drew out and then went out in the market, but I don’t see the outside gate being a huge disadvantage to her.
“She wasn’t beaten far in the Epsom, and that’s top-line mile form. There’s no reason she won’t be amongst them again on the weekend.
“Coco Jamboo was unlucky and should have fought race out the race when she resumed. She’s another horse who can improve off her first-up run, and will be thereabouts.”
Meanwhile, McEvoy is booked to ride Joliestar in next Saturday’s $10m Golden Eagle, before he heads south for Tuesday week’s Melbourne Cup where he rides Irish runner Absurde. Absurde finished seventh in last year’s Cup, and hassince won two races back home.
Ryan hoping Amazing Eagle can soar
Gerald Ryan’s last 50 runners have featured four wins but 14 agonising placings.
“We’ve been around the money, and every day you don’t win means you’re one day closer to winning,” said Ryan, who heads to Randwick with a decent book of chances.
Just Party and Arctic Glamour are two big hopes, as is Amazing Eagle, who has always produced his best work – annoyingly – at the trials.
“He trialled well before his first race start, which is why he started favourite,” Ryan said.
“He’s matured this time in, he’s bigger and stronger and just taken a bit of time.
“He’s since trialled well after knee surgery, he’s a Magic Millions horse, so he might have an ease up after Saturday and go there.”
Amazing Eagle has not been seen on a race day since the Black Opal Stakes in March but looked good in his latest trial, cutting the corner and winning while being eased down a long way out from home. The Capitalist colt will jump from the outside gate following scratchings.
Just Party has been unlucky this campaign, and Ryan said: “He had heart arrhythmia his first start, he didn’t get a clear run at the top of the straight his next start, and was only beaten a length.
“He then never got a clear crack at Randwick [third-up], and the other day he got back, was going to come around them, but came back inside and finished off really well. He’s trained on well since.”
Ryan thought Arctic Glamour looked the Epsom winner for a few strides halfway up the straight, and did well to cling to fifth. And knowing the mare was back in distance, and against her own sex, meant she was well in with a shot at the $2m The Invitation.
