By Craig Kerry
Top trainer Ciaron Maher says Big Dance winner Gringotts is “still on the up” as he tries to conquer a wide barrier again on Saturday in the $1 million The Gong (1600m).
Maher, the Australian premiership leader, who won the Kembla Grange feature last year with Detonator Jack, could have as many as five runners in The Gong, led by Gringotts.
Tommy Berry wins the Big Dance aboard the Ciaron Maher-trained Gringotts.Credit: James Brickwood
Five-year-old Gringotts was a clear favourite for the race after his impressive win in the $2 million Big Dance on November 5 over the Randwick mile, but he drifted in betting slightly after drawing gate 16 on Wednesday.
Gringotts is a $5 favourite with Sportsbet, ahead of Territory Express ($6), and will carry the top weight of 60 kilograms. Tommy Berry again has the ride.
Maher hoped Gringotts’ class could again cancel out the wide alley.
“The owner said he drew a bad gate, but I thought last start was a bad gate, so this must be a good one. But, no, it’s not,” Maher quipped when checking the barriers on Wednesday.
“He’s come through his run really well, and he’s still very much on the up.
“This will be only his fourth run in, and he was dominant from a wide gate [last time].
“He just keeps improving with each prep. Obviously, his target was the Big Dance, but he’s trained on really well.”
Top trainer Ciaron Maher could have five starters in The Gong.Credit: Getty Images
Stablemate Vivy Air was next best in the Big Dance, finishing quickly to be a length behind Gringotts. The four-year-old mare is a $20 hope from barrier 13 on Saturday with Andrew Adkins aboard and only carrying 53kg.
“Vivy Air is just improving with each run; she’s just going great,” Maher said.
“We’ve only had her this prep and the owners were giving us some grief early on in the prep, but they are pretty happy now.
“She was hitting the line pretty hard [last start], and weight is going to come into it.”
Berkshire Shadow, a $19 chance from gate five, was third in the Ladies Day Cup (1500m) last start at Hawkesbury. Chad Schofield rides and Maher has added blinkers for the first time.
“He just needs to find a little bit,” Maher said. “He’s a bit like Light Infantry Man: great credentials in the UK, but just hasn’t really hit the mark here yet. He’s got it there and maybe blinkers is the key.”
Griff is a 100-1 shot for Maher from gate six, while Glory Daze needed a scratching to get a start.
Meanwhile, Schofield believes Hedged can more than make up for the jockey’s missed opportunity at last week’s The Hunter program when he contests The Warra (1000m).
Schofield was set to ride Gobi Desert in the Max Lees Classic for Newcastle trainer Kris Lees, but a right hand injury from a fall at Hawkesbury on the Tuesday forced him to have a week off.
Gobi Desert led throughout for Tim Clark in the $160,000, 900m sprint for two-year-olds, giving Lees a first win his late father’s race.
Schofield returned on Wednesday with a winning treble at Canterbury and heads to Kembla with Hedged among the top hopes in a wide open The Warra.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent jnr-trained four-year-old is first up off a four-month spell and two trials and is a $4.50 top elect.
“I’ve done its two trials, as well as a handful of gallops – it’s a very capable horse,” Schofield said.
“He’s first up and will improve off the run, but his two trials have been pretty sharp. At 1000 metres, he’s going to be hard to beat.”
