A handful of second placings and a winner, plus a suspension and a scratching from the $1m feature wasn’t enough to dampen Tommy Berry’s enthusiasm for Kembla Grange.
It was a golden Saturday for young apprentice Brock Ryan when riding as well as a Hall of Famer on Count De Rupee in The Gong, but for Tommy Berry it was one to forget.
The champion jockey rode Ranges to victory in the fourth race but, by his high standards, it wasn’t a good day at Kembla Grange.
He rode five seconds, didn’t make the weight (53.5kg) on Our Bellagio Miss and was fined $200, and to cap it off was suspended for a week after being charged with careless riding on Lord Desanimaux who was not clear of Kermatin which resulted in it being checked.
His Gong mount I Am Superman was also scratched from the million dollar race due to the wet weather when well in market on race morning.
“It wasn’t a good day,” Berry said.
“Between running a heap of seconds, scratchings and getting suspended, it wasn’t ideal.”
“When you’re younger a day like that can dent your confidence but I was happy I gave them every chance but they just kept missing out.
“Running second is probably something I dislike more than anything but they are days that you just put behind you.”
In a positive, Berry said punters and race fans didn’t lose anything from having Saturday metropolitan racing taken away from Sydney tracks during the past fortnight when The Hunter and The Gong meetings were run at provincial tracks.
“It (Kembla Grange) played beautifully. Both the track managers and the clubs here and at Newcastle deserve a massive kudos because those two tracks were as good as I’ve ridden on in a very long time,” he said.
Berry is looking forward to Rosehill on Saturday where he’ll partner Kosciuszko winner Art Cadeau in the Group 2 Festival Stakes (1500m).
Terry Robinson’s horse, who also won the Country Championships earlier in the year, was worked by Berry last week on the beach at Shoalhaven Heads.
“The beach wasn’t that great so we couldn’t work him as solid as we wanted him to but he’s going to have another gallop on Monday. I’m very happy with him and he’s going well,” Berry said.
Art Cadeau comes off a career worst result in the Goulburn Cup when missing out on a top two finish for the first time in his 13-start career when Berry wasn’t on him.
“He didn’t have much luck there. He was trapped wide and worked forward at the half mile and he wasn’t ready for that sort of run,” Berry said.
“It wasn’t what we wanted to see but he’s bounced back from it.”
BETTING ANALYSIS
Punters who waited got the best price for The Gong winner Count De Rupee. He opened at $2.90 on Wednesday and got out to as much as $5.50 before firming back in to $4.60. One punter struck with a $4000 bet at $5.50 on the winner and several other decent bets were landed including a $5000 wager at $4.60.
Malkovich attracted some of the biggest bets held by TAB on the day including a $19,700 bet at $2.30, but he was nabbed late by Eleven Eleven. Malkovich attracted 62 per cent of trade and hit $2.15 before out to $2.40 then a late flurry of big bets saw him start $2.30.
Punters were feeling sick to start the meeting after Suppression was well beaten as a $3.80 favourite having taken up almost 40 per cent of the win hold on the race. One punter had $5000 on the gelding to run a place at $1.50 but he could only manage sixth.
FIVE TO FOLLOW
SUPPRESSION
Jockey James McDonald said there were excuses for $3.80 favourite Suppression in the opener at Kembla Grange on Saturday after he ran sixth over 2000m and was never in it.
“I went to go early on him at the 600m and he came off the bride and they were too sharp for him. I stuck on but he made no headway when they sprinted,” he said.
“He’s a 2400m horse who just got going. Next time you’ll see him closer.”
Suppression won at 2400m two runs back and that’s when to back him again.
POINT COUNTERPOINT
Point Counterpoint is out of the Highways now after winning at Kembla Grange on Saturday but he looks good enough to go to the midweeks and win a race.
The gelding showed plenty of fight to win second-up despite not being fully fit.
He should be winning another race this time in if Stirling Osland can find the right race.
BOWERY BREEZE
I know he’s looked likely a number of times this preparation but not won, however Bowery Breeze had genuine excuses on Saturday when running four lengths sixth behind Divine Breath in the Midway race.
Apprentice Jenny Duggan had a heap of horse under her and was looking to make a run in the straight but struck trouble and couldn’t get out with her mount left jogging in behind them.
“I had 2½ lengths left in the tank but I don’t think I would’ve beaten the winner,” Duggan told the stewards.
HE’S SUPER LUCKY
Punters hadn’t seen him since he ran eighth of nine in June 2020 and He’s Super Lucky was sent out a drifting $31 chance but ran well above those odds to finish third behind Dragonstone and Satin Ribbons.
Not only will that prove to be good form, but he’s almost certain to improve second-up after such a good performance off such a long break.
Trained by Amanda Turner, He’s Super Lucky is likely to start overs next time he goes around despite the fact he has a second-up win to his name already.
STEELY
Steely missed out on a run in The Gong but picked up a decent consolation prize later in a Benchmark 88.
Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou will now aim him at the $750,000 Villiers Stakes in three weeks time and he’ll get in as a nice lightweight chance.
It’s a step up in grade, but the good thing about following this horse is that you won’t have to worry about weather conditions because he goes just as well on firm tracks as he does on the heavy.
A barrier wouldn’t matter either because he can lead or take a sit and still be just as effective.
TRACK TALK
“This has got to be a pretty darn good day. I’m calm, but not on the inside,” Theresa Bateup said after her winning double on Saturday at Kembla Grange.
“He took three furlongs (600m) to get going,” James McDonald said of favourite Suppression in the opener.
“He put in a bit of a shoulder drop and I become unbalanced,” said Robbie Dolan when explaining why he didn’t ride Black Duke out to the finish.
“Who doesn’t love a picnic in front especially when it’s raining. Clever ride by Alysha Collett. We are thrilled to get our first Saturday metropolitan winning for Gerry Harvey,” Brad Widdup said of Queen Bellissimo.
“Brock Ryan, from a grommet working at a caravan park only a few years ago. Look at you now. Be very proud young man. That was some ride,” said race caller Anthony Manton after The Gong winning ride of apprentice Brock Ryan.
“My gut feeling has always been to aim him at the All Aged Stakes and run in the TJ as well. We’ll go where the big money is and we’ll be looking at an Everest ticket,” said Luke Price after Count De Rupee’s Gong win.
STEWARDS SAY
SELBUROSE – Race 5
James McDonald said the mare jumped awkwardly and then was hampered by Seleque, which shifted out, and as a consequence lost ground. McDonald added that, as a result, he elected to shift Selburose behind runners from the outside barrier and made ground along the rail in the early stages. A post race veterinary examination revealed Selburose to be lame (2/5) in the off-foreleg. A veterinary clearance will be required prior to Selburose being permitted to race or barrier trial again
ATISHU – Race 8
Brock Ryan, rider of Count De Rupee, pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding in that near the 1400m he permitted his mount to shift in when not clear of Atishu resulting in Atishu losing its running and being steadied. Ryan was suspended from November 28 to December 9. Kerrin McEvoy said that, while Atishu had established form on rain affected going, he was of the opinion that the mare did not handle today‘s soft track conditions.
DON LUIGI – Race 3
Alysha Collett said her mount appeared to resent the cross-over nose-band, which it was wearing for the first time. She said that, as a result, at the start she allowed the gelding to jump on a loose rein, but Don Luigi jumped awkwardly, shifted out abruptly and subsequently lost ground. She said that throughout the event Don Luigi continued to resent the cross-over nose-band and did not finish the race off. Trainer Kerry Parker said that he would now experiment with the gear on Don Luigi and report to Stewards whether he makes any change.
CRUNCH TIME
Kembla Grange, Race 8 – Count De Rupee
Racing NSW Punters Intelligence shows that Count De Rupee ran home in 35.49 seconds over the final 600m of The Gong and his final two sectionals were the fastest of any horse in the race. Despite coming out of barrier 13 he covered 18m less than Exoboom who ran fifth after jumping from barrier nine. Brock Ryan’s ride ensured Count De Rupee didn’t have to cover much more ground because he got into a one off the fence position less than 300m after the start over the mile.
Kembla Grange, Race 6 – Divine Breath
It was another masterful ride by Brock Ryan out of barrier 14 on Theresa Bateup’s four-year-old mare. Racing NSW Punter’s Intelligence shows he got her into a one off position 350m after the start. The mare ran the fastest last 400m and fastest last 600m in 34.71 seconds. She covered the same amount of ground at runner-up Travest despite coming out of a much wider gate, as her rival jumped out of barrier eight. Her top speed was also superior, 67.1km/h compared to 65.9km/h. Toostar was the only horse who broke the 70km/h with that mare recording a top speed of 71.3km/h.
Kembla Grange, Race 7 – Eleven Eleven
Greg Hickman’s sprinter was only fair away under Tyler Schiller and settled third last in the run before getting off the fence shortly after. He really started to make his run at the 250m when coming off the back of third place getter Wisdom Of Water. Racing NSW Punters Intelligence shows that while runner-up Malkovich had a higher top speed, 70.7km/h to 68.9km/h, Eleven Eleven knuckled down much better in the final 200m to run the fastest last sectional and broke 34 seconds (33.29) for the final 600m. He also covered an extra 2.3m than Malkovich over the 1000m.
Kembla Grange, Race 5 – Queen Bellissimo
Brad Widdup’s sprinter was super first-up and Racing NSW Punter’s Intelligence shows that the Swiss Ace four-year-old won the race in three sectionals between the 800m and 200m. She ran spilt of 11.19, 11.50 and 11.04, to give her opponents no chance of running her down over the final 200m. Even though runner-up Incredulous Dream and third placegetter Nicci’s Fling both ran faster last 600m times, the damage was done well before the home turn.
Originally published as Tommy Berry had a day of mixed emotions at Kembla Grange on Saturday
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