Star jockey sticks to busy schedule and keeps winning

STAR jockey Tommy Berry isn’t changing his busy Saturday schedule despite the additional workload with 10 races at Sydney meetings each weekend.

Berry has a full book of rides at the Rosehill meeting but he will still be up early to ride trackwork.

“I enjoy riding trackwork on Saturday mornings because it helps to get me prepared for the races,’’ Berry said. “When Sydney went to 10 races at the start of the month, there was one Saturday when I didn’t go to the track and it just didn’t work for me.

“So, I still go to Rosehill to ride for Chris Waller each Saturday. I only ride about three horses work, it’s all I have time for but it helps get me going for the day. I do those three, duck home for a sleep, then a bit of a sweat and off to the races.’’

Berry’s routine has helped him to a career-best season with 170 winners on all tracks to be third on the national premiership including 111 city wins to be second behind James McDonald (127 wins) for the coveted Sydney title.

He’s also won five Group 1 races during 2020-21 including his third Golden Slipper with Stay Inside and second Golden Rose with Ole Kirk.

“This is the best season I’ve ever had,’’ Berry said. “I’ve worked really hard and I’ve been fortunate to get the support from as many trainers as I have. The only thing that has disappointed me was the number suspensions I had but in saying that, James was the better rider this season and deserved to win the premiership.

“But it has put the fire in my belly to try to beat James and all the other jockeys in the new season. There’s a great pool of jockeys in Sydney and it is only getting stronger.’’

Berry wants to add to his 111 Sydney wins at the final three meetings of the 2020-21 racing season starting with Rosehill where he has a powerful book starting with Military Expert in the opener, the Elite Sand And Soil Handicap (1200m).

Military Expert was narrowly beaten on debut by King Of Sparta and the two promising youngsters are clashing again.

“I am really excited about Military Expert,’’ Berry said.

“There was some criticism of my ride on Military Expert the other day that I sat on him for too long. But I was riding a two-year-old having his first start in a race and he only had one barrier trial going into that race.

“He jumped well, did everything right and still found the line well. Annabel (Neasham, trainer) has a horse to work with going into the new season.’’ Berry said King Of Sparta is also a very promising horse and feels the return clash with Military Expert will be one of the highlight races on the Rosehill program.

“There was nothing between them last start but I feel Military Expert has a lot of improvement,’’ Berry said.

“I think he is better than a winter two-year-old – in time he is going to stakes grade.’’

Sydney’s final stakes race of the season is the Listed $150,000 Winter Challenge (1500m) where Berry links with Military Zone.

The Team Snowden-trained Military Zone is one of the outsiders of the field but Berry is adamant the sprinter will appreciate racing on an improving Rosehill track surface.

“Military Zone’s trackwork all the way through has been spot on, he’s been working very well and I think you have to put a pen through his form because he is a real dry-tracker,’’ Berry said. “I rode him in Queensland last start and it slowly run race but I thought he hit the line well as his sectionals showed.’’

Berry also links with the Chris Waller stable on overnight favourites Seleque in the City Tattersalls Club Handicap (1200m) and impressive last-start winner Tycoonist in the Agency Real Estate Handicap (1200m).

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Originally published asBerry uses military precision

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