The rise of The Ingham favourite Gringotts hasn’t come as a surprise to jockey Tommy Berry, but he admits the manner in which the gelding has been achieving it has been a welcome revelation.
Gringotts has captured the Big Dance and The Gong at his past two starts, both times carting big weights and overcoming outside barriers.
Berry has been impressed by the nature of both performances, and evidently, so has Gringotts.
“I think he has surprised everyone because he is winning with plenty of authority and he has gained a lot of confidence out of his wins, especially out of the Big Dance,” Berry said.
“The way he came through the Big Dance into The Gong, it was like he’d gone home, knew he was the man and puffed out his chest.
“He went into The Gong just a different horse. Hopefully that’s the case again on Saturday.”
Gringotts will again have to shoulder a hefty weight in The Ingham (1600m) at Randwick, his 60.5kg impost just a half-kilo less than topweight and Group 1 winner Private Eye.
However, he has a much kinder draw in barrier seven and Berry hopes that will offer some flexibility after being all but forced to ride him for speed at his past two starts.
“It hasn’t been the way we have wanted to ride him at his last couple but it has been the way we’ve had to,” he said.
“I’m not saying that’s not going to be the way he is ridden on Saturday. I don’t want to take that speed away from him, but it would be nice to have something do the work for him and let him have the last crack at a few of the others.”
Berry is also looking forward to having his first race ride on the Peter Snowden-trained Telling in the Inglis Nursery (1000m) after partnering him in a trackwork gallop during the week.
The colt finished third on debut over 900m at Newcastle and Berry is convinced he is looking for the slightly longer trip.
“They got away from him on the bend but he was nice and strong through the line late and that’s the feel he gave me at trackwork on Tuesday as well,” Berry said.
“He’s not very big but he’s got quite a long stride for a small horse and feels like he’ll appreciate the extra distance. He put in a very sharp piece of work and I think he’s a good top three chance.”