The most anticipated spring of Tommy Berry’s career could arrive early with a stakes double at Randwick on Saturday.
Berry is the envy of jockeys’ room with his spring book which includes the Melbourne Cup and Caulfield Cup favourite The Offer and the Cox Plate market leader Carlton House.
He also has the inside running for the mount on Dan Excel, the Hong Kong star he was reunited with in a Rosehill track gallop on Thursday after winning this year’s Singapore International Cup.
Berry will be doing his best to head to the big races in Melbourne with a string of Sydney feature wins, beginning with the Missile Stakes and Rosebud on Saturday.
His Group Two Missile Stakes mount Sweet Idea is pressing Rebel Dane for favouritism and Nayeli is similarly placed in betting behind Sarajevo in the Listed Rosebud.
Sweet Idea is first-up since finishing out of the money on a wet track behind Lankan Rupee in the TJ Smith Stakes but Berry says she has a key attribute that would be welcome in any of his best spring rides.
“She’s is one horse that every time she goes out there she is going to be competitive,” Berry said.
“She never wins by a big margin but just gets the job done.”
Spring plans are uncertain for Sweet Idea, unlike her Gai Waterhouse-trained stablemate Nayeli who will be out to boost her $1 million Golden Rose claims.
Nayeli is back in action after her Group One Blue Diamond Stakes failure but she has won two barrier trials to confirm Berry’s view she has returned a much more furnished filly than the one who caught the jockey off guard by winning a Group Three race as a two-year-old.
“I didn’t think she was quite up to winning the Group race at that stage,” Berry said.
“She surprised me a little bit there but I think this preparation she has definitely made the improvement to go to Group One level.”
Her next Group One test is expected to come in the Golden Rose.
She is on the third line of betting for the $1 million Golden Rose (1400m) on September 13 at $11 behind Sarajevo ($7) and Almalad $8.
As the only filly in the Rosebud, her stocks will rise of she can beat the colts and geldings over 1200m.
