Gringotts has edged out established stars Fangirl and Ceolwulf in a thrilling George Ryder Stakes finish, securing his first Group 1 victory and stamping himself as a top contender for the upcoming Doncaster Mile.
The Ciaron Maher-trained Gringotts ($6) was the only runner in Saturday’s star-studded 11-horse field yet to win a Group 1, but under the strong urgings of jockey Tommy Berry, the rising talent held off Fangirl ($5) to claim the 1500m weight-for-age contest by a nose. Dual Group 1 winner Ceolwulf ($3.90 equal betting favourite) finished another nose away in third.
Gringotts had already made a name for himself with victories in the $3 million Big Dance and $1 million The Gong last spring. Maher said the five-year-old had been steadily progressing into a genuine Group 1 competitor.
After resuming with an eye-catching third under a hefty weight in the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m), Gringotts took another step forward with his George Ryder triumph.
“He’s been building, and he’s onto the Doncaster next,” Maher said.
“I think he blew the clock up over the last 600m last start. Stepping up in trip today was ideal. You could feel he was building.
“Fangirl was obviously very hard to beat, she always is, but that was fantastic.”
The victory was especially meaningful for Berry, marking his first Group 1 win since the spring of 2022.
After serving a disqualification in 2023 and suffering a neck and shoulder injury in a January fall at Randwick, Berry feared he might miss the autumn carnival. However, he returned to riding late last month and was thrilled to celebrate a major win aboard Gringotts, a horse he partnered throughout last spring.
“It’s felt like a long road back here, and with the injury, I didn’t think I was going to be back for this carnival,” Berry said.
“So it’s just so good to be back.
“I’ve had a lot of faith in this horse.
“His first-up run was massive under the big weight and it’s like he toys with them. He hits a bit of a flat spot around the 100m mark and when they come to him, he responds. Gee, that’s a good feeling.”
Berry admitted he was unsure if Gringotts had held off his challengers at the line.
“The barrier boys told me around the back straight that I’d got there,” Berry said.
“It’s not a good feeling when you’ve got to wait another two-and-a-half furlongs to know if you’ve won. But it was well worth the wait.”
Berry is now eagerly anticipating his ride on Gringotts in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick in two weeks.
Gringotts carries 55.5kg in the Doncaster and is the equal favourite at $6 following Saturday’s win, sharing top billing with Randwick Guineas winner Linebacker.
