Magic Millions winning jockey Nathan Berry is headed for greater heights as be prepares for a four month riding stint in Singapore in March.
Nathan Berry winning the Magic Millions 2yo Classic on Unencumbered. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Berry will head to the bright lights of the Singapore racing scene with the satisfaction of winning the biggest race of his career, the Jeep $2m Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast last Saturday on Unencumbered.
Berry will also be celebrating another milestone when he weds girlfriend Whitney Schofield on February 2 before the pair fly out to Asia.
“I’m marrying the girl of my dreams, so that should top it all off for me,” Berry told the Daily Telegraph on Sunday.
“Yesterday was the highlight of my career and something I’ll remember for a very, very long time.”
Nathan has watched the career of his twin brother Tommy Berry blossom after he won the 2011 Magic Millions 2yo Classic on Karuta Queen with Tommy now the number one stable rider for Gai Waterhouse with several Group 1 victories beside his name, including the 2013 Golden Slipper on Overreach.
“(The Magic Millions win) helped set Tom’s career alight, and while I’m not saying the same will happen to me, but just being at the sales last night, listening to the owners and trainers talk to me, they were telling me how much I’ve grown, and how great my ride was,” Berry said.
“It’s all well and good to ride in big races, but owners and trainers want to see you get the job done before they trust you and put faith in you.
“I was excited about Saturday, there were no nerves, and once I was on the horse’s back, everything calmed down.”
Berry was overwhelmed with congratulatory messages on Saturday night and Sunday and is relieved that all his hard work has been rewarded.
Berry had left no stone unturned leading up the Magic Millions race day with endless hours of studying the race form over every runner and rider in the $2m race for the juveniles.
“I had only a total of five hours sleep on Thursday and Friday nights. I was tossing and turning and I wish I had never done the form,” Berry said.
“Every horse in the field was going through my head.”
As well and admiring Tommy achievements, Nathan admits that he can owe a lot of Saturday’s success to his ‘best mate’.
“Tom said to me to ride it like it was a $2,000 race,” Nathan Berry said.
“To be honest he got me through this today. I was very nervous and the words I had with him really did the trick.”
“We’re not just brothers, we’re best mates.”
