Jockey Tommy Berry and trainer Gai Waterhouse have combined for more Group One success at The Championships with The Offer storming to victory in the $1 million Sydney Cup at Randwick.
While Diamond Drille gave Berry and Waterhouse an unexpected win in the Queen Of The Turf Stakes, The Offer’s success was anticipated with the imported stayer saluting as the $3.30 favourite.
In a muddling-run race, The Offer raced in a midfield position before he crept into contention as the 17 runners swung for home.
He didn’t take long to assert his authority and he sprinted clear to beat Opinion ($26) and Sertorius ($8.50).
For Berry, grieving the death of his twin brother Nathan, he returned to emotional scenes in the mounting yard where he was embraced by his parents.
“I tell you what, the hardest thing is coming back here (to scale),” Berry said. (Nathan was) the first one to give me a cuddle but he’s not here to do that any more but I’m glad I’m making him proud.
“Every race I win for the rest of my life will be for Nathan.”
The Offer’s victory gave Waterhouse a Sydney Cup and Melbourne win in the same season with different horses.
She believes she has every reason to look ahead with optimism to the spring with The Offer.
“Look out Melbourne Cup. Here we come 2014,” Waterhouse said.
| Race 7 – 3:45PM SCHWEPPES SYDNEY CUP (3200 METRES) |
|---|
| Of $1,000,000.1st $600,000, 2nd $200,000, 3rd $100,000, 4th $50,000, 5th $20,000, 6th $10,000, 7th $10,000, 8th $10,000 GROUP 1 Handicap, Minimum Weight 52kg, Three-Years-Old and Upwards, Weight Raised 2kg, Apprentices cannot claim.Track Condition: Dead Time: 3:23.86 Last 600m: 0:37.14 INTERIM RESULTS |
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| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Starting Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | THE OFFER (IRE) | Gai Waterhouse | Tommy Berry | 8 | 55kg | $3.30F | |||
| 2 | 10 | OPINION (IRE) | Chris Waller | Jason Collett | 3.8L | 14 | 54kg | $26 | ||
| 3 | 2 | SERTORIUS | Jamie Edwards & Bruce Elkington | Ryan Maloney | 5.3L | 3 | 56kg | $8.50 | ||
| 4 | 5 | BRIGANTIN (USA) | Chris Waller | Craig Newitt | 5.6L | 6 | 54.5kg | $9 | ||
| 5 | 6 | EPINGLE (NZ) | Michael Kent | Craig Williams | 6.6L | 12 | 54kg | $20 | ||
| 6 | 7 | TUPAC AMARU | Peter Snowden | Kerrin McEvoy | 8.2L | 9 | 54kg | $9 | ||
| 7 | 9 | LET’S MAKE ADEAL | Nigel Blackiston | Zac Purton | 8.5L | 7 | 54kg | $26 | ||
| 8 | 13 | DESERT JEUNEY | Nigel Blackiston | Brenton Avdulla | 9L | 1 | 54kg | $51 | ||
| 9 | 3 | WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) | Mark Oulaghan | James McDonald | 12.5L | 11 | 56kg | $5.50 | ||
| 10 | 15 | ANGOLA | Pat Carey | Jay Ford | 13.2L | 2 | 54kg | $101 | ||
| 11 | 12 | TREMEC (NZ) | John P Thompson | Christian Reith | 13.5L | 17 | 54kg | $26 | ||
| 12 | 1 | VOLEUSE DE COEURS (IRE) | Michael Moroney | Glen Boss | 14.5L | 16 | 58kg | $9 | ||
| 13 | 16 | LIKE A CAROUSEL | Ken Keys | Hugh Bowman | 22.3L | 15 | 54kg | $151 | ||
| 14 | 17 | FIFTH COLUMN | Gerard Betros | Ms Kathy O’Hara | 25.9L | 5 | 54kg | $201 | ||
| 15 | 11 | HIPPOPUS (NZ) | Gai Waterhouse | Jim Cassidy | 28L | 4 | 54kg | $17 | ||
| 16 | 8 | GONDOKORO (NZ) | Pat Carey | Rhys McLeod | 28.4L | 10 | 54kg | $101 | ||
| 17 | 14 | MACEDONIAN (NZ) | Peter G Moody | Chad Schofield | 34.3L | 13 | 54kg | $61 |
