By Craig Kerry
Fresh from a drought-breaking group 1 win, Tommy Berry hopes a tip from leading English hoop Ryan Moore proves to be on the money again when he partners Yulong import Zarir in the Tancred Stakes on Saturday.
Zarir, a five-year-old son of Frankel, is one of two Yulong-owned additions premier Sydney trainer Chris Waller will unveil in the group 1 2400m race at Rosehill. The other is six-year-old Sea The Stars mare River Of Stars.
Tommy Berry celebrates his win on Gringotts last week in the George Ryder Stakes. Credit: Getty Images
Leading jockey James McDonald rode both in trackwork then chose River Of Stars to pilot in the $1.5 million Tancred, opening the door for Berry on Zarir.
“I was talking to James about them both, and he said Ryan Moore actually liked my guy better,” said Berry, who scored his first group 1 win since 2022 when Gringotts claimed the George Ryder Stakes on Saturday at Rosehill.
“But James said he’s ridden them both in work, and he just seems to like the other one better, and it sort of stuck in his head that if he decided to go with mine and the other one ends up winning …
“So there’s obviously not a lot between them. And they both have come here with good form. He’s group 1 placed over 2400, he enjoys soft ground, so he ticks a lot of boxes.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how they get here. And I heard Chris Waller say on his show that the last one that Ryan said he liked was Via Sistina.
“Hopefully this guy goes half as good.”
River Of Stars, which hasn’t won on rain-affected ground, was second in the group 1 Prix de Royallieu (2800m) in France at her most recent start on September 15. Zarir, which has scored two of his four wins on soft going, was second in the group 2 Prix Foy over 2400m on the same card.
River Of Stars has gate 13 and is a $13 Sportsbet hope on Saturday, while Zarir is $21 from barrier eight. Rosehill is a soft 5 with rain predicted for Friday and Saturday.
Berry also rides for Waller in the other group 1 of the day, the Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m), with Real Class ($20).
A winner twice in four starts in New Zealand, Real Class was almost six lengths off stablemate Lazzura when on debut in Australia in the group 2 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) a fortnight ago.
“I think she’s ready to peak now, and softer tracks are only going to enhance her performance,” Berry said. “We’ve all got to beat the star filly [Treasurethe Moment], but if the track’s wet and she has an off day, then we’re going to be ready to pounce.”
Lazzura is Berry’s best ride on the day. She was a $4.20 favourite in the group 2 Emancipation Stakes (1500m) off her slashing win in the Phar Lap.
“She’s my best because we don’t have to worry about track conditions, we don’t have to worry about the speed of the race,” he said.
“She makes her own luck, puts herself wherever you want, and I rode her on a soft track when she won at her second start at Scone, and she absolutely swam through it.
“She’s just that bomb-proof filly.”
Berry is also aboard the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Katsumi Orochi (TL Baillieu Handicap) and Punch Lane (Star Kingdom Stakes), which look to have contrasting hopes if the rain comes.
“He’s a lovely horse, very raw,” he said of Katsumi Orochi. ” I think he’s going to be better at three than he is at two. He’s just got plenty of raw ability.
“I’ve ridden him in a few gallops. The only thing I worry is, when we did the trials the other day at Warwick Farm, it was probably soft seven, heavy eight, and he didn’t seem to enjoy it.
“Punch Lane is on the other end of the scale. Punch Lane absolutely is a swimmer, so it’s definitely going to enhance its chances, and it’s been trialling up well.”
Victorian trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young have sent Confetti Garden ($6.50) and Tsitsipas ($26) to the Tulloch Stakes (2000m) and Berry rides the former, which was runner-up last start in the group 2 Autumn Classic (1800m).
“The team’s got a very good opinion of him,” Berry said. “And Trent Busuttin, when he travels his horses, especially to Sydney for races like this and in the Derby, he’s got a very good record.
“He [Confetti Garden] looks to be hanging in a little bit around Melbourne and sort of doing a couple of things wrong, so he’s still got improvement there.
“He looks like he’s doing it on raw ability and from what the stable tells me, the penny’s only just starting to drop.”
