Jockey Tommy Berry’s decision to ride Travolta for luck, influenced by a pre-race discussion with his manager, proved to be the winning formula in the 2026 Sydney Gold Cup.
Berry had previously ridden Travolta on several occasions, noting the horse’s consistent performances without securing a victory. This led to a strategic rethink for Saturday’s significant $750,000 race.
“I had a chat with ‘Joicey’ this morning about this bloke. I’ve ridden him a few times when I thought he was a good thing, got him to the outside, and he just doesn’t sustain a gallop,” Berry said. “Today, I planned to ride him with a bit of cover and sneak through them and have that one last crack. He’s got a really good turn of foot. He’s been racing against some pretty decent cattle this prep. Master work by Chris (Waller) as usual. He gave him a bit of a freshen up, and he felt well today.”
Travolta ($15) was settled in the early stages by Berry, who then expertly navigated a path through the field in the home straight to score by a half-length. Barrengarry ($2.80 favourite) claimed second, with Starzintheireyes ($5) a further half-length away in third.
Zane Jones, representing trainer Chris Waller, indicated that the stable had opted to keep Travolta at middle-distance assignments this preparation, a change from the longer trips tested in the autumn. The gelding had apparently responded well to a recent freshen-up.
“Chris has always had a good opinion of the horse. He lost his way a bit last prep when we tried him over a lot further, and he wasn’t quite finishing off his races,” Jones stated. “Today, we freshened him up, gave him a trial, rode him quieter and that way he was able to show his turn of foot and finish over the top.”
Following this successful campaign, Travolta is being considered for races such as the Beauford (2300m) on Newcastle’s Hunter program, a potential target during the provincial carnivals.
The victory marked another highlight for Chris Waller, who had already achieved Group 1 success in Melbourne with Stormy Marco in the Victoria Derby (2500m) and Lady Shenandoah in the Empire Rose Stakes (1600m), alongside two other stakes races on the undercard.
“They’re knocking up winning races in Melbourne, so we thought we’d join the party late in the day,” Jones quipped.
Berry and Waller are also scheduled to team up in the upcoming Melbourne Cup on Tuesday with Soul Of Spain. This stayer finished runner-up in the Sydney Cup (3200m) in April, and Berry believes he has a knockout chance, especially if he draws well.
“I just pray that he draws well so I can get him into a good rhythm,” Berry said. “He’s got 3200-metre form there, and he’s trained by Chris Waller, and isn’t he having a carnival so far. It would be a nice one to have on the mantlepiece.”
Betting markets for the Melbourne Cup are already heating up, with many Australian betting sites offering competitive odds.