Berry can stay on Prompt Response in Tattersalls’ Tiara

Hong Kong bound jockey Tommy Berry has been granted a stay of proceedings and is free to ride last start winner Prompt Response in the Group 1 $500,000 Sky Racing Tattersall’s Tiara (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday.

Tommy Berry, above, is free to ride Prompt Response in the Tattersall's Tiara at Doomben. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Tommy Berry, above, is free to ride Prompt Response in the Tattersall’s Tiara at Doomben. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Berry has appealed a careless riding suspension he was handed for causing interference to Ulmann over the concluding stages in the Group 1 $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on June 10 when he allowed his mount Good Project to shift ground.

Racing Queensland Stewards suspended Berry for twelve days with his time out of the saddle originally meant to commence at midnight on June 17 and end at midnight on June 29.

Berry and Prompt Response teamed up for a win in the Group 2 $200,000 Bundaberg Rum Dane Ripper Stakes (1350m) on Stradbroke Handicap Day and co-trainer Adrian Bott was happy that he could be aboard the Beneteau filly again this week in the Group 1 for the fillies and mares.

“It will be great to see Tommy partner her on Saturday,” Bott told Sky Racing News.

“He has done plenty of work with her. Obviously he suits her very well, he is in great form at the moment.”

“I think it will be a nice way to send him off before we see him go to Hong Kong.”

“Tommy has been a great part of the team for many years and certainly recently he has been a big help to us, a very good friend as well. It would be a nice way to see him off to Hong Kong with a Group 1 win.”

Berry is set to take up a twelve month riding contract in Hong Kong with top trainer John Moore when the new season starts in September and will now have the opportunity to win the last Group 1 race of the 2016 – 2017 racing season on the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained filly.

Prompt Response had been struggling to find the winner’s stall with three seconds and a fourth prior to winning the Dane Ripper Stakes and Bott said that a change in riding tactics had paid dividends last start.

“We thought that if we rode her just that bit conservative, a further pair back than we usually would and give her a chance to finish off the race we might be able to get a different result and that obviously worked out well for us,” Bott said.

“Up in Brisbane she came out and switched off beautifully, Tommy was able to get her into the right spot at the right time and that is a pattern that she has responded well to.”

In early betting for the Tattersall’s Tiara at Ladbrokes.com.au, Prompt Response is well in contention at $7 alongside of the Kurt Goldman trained Eckstein while Stradbroke Handicap runner up In Her Time is rated at the top of the market order at $3.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.