Jockey Tommy Berry admits that The Offer will be vulnerable when he starts his 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign in the 2014 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Tommy Berry is chasing his fourth straight win on The Offer in the 2014 Dato' Tan Chin Nam Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart
The Offer has not been seen at the races since he stormed clear from the rest of the field to win the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) by four lengths at Royal Randwick on April 19, but he has performed well in two barrier trials at Randwick on July 18 and August 13.
Trainer Gai Waterhouse believes that The Offer will be competitive in the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes and Berry feels that the Montjeu gelding has the quality to win the Group 2 event, but the leading hoop told Sky Racing HQ that he is worried that the five-year-old will be a touch vulnerable first-up and he will not be pushing the Melbourne Cup favourite forward in the early stages of the race.
“He is not a horse that we are looking to get up on the pace, he seems to relax quite well wherever he is in the run and if you start revving him up he can get pully, which he does in his work sometimes,” Berry said.
“After speaking to Gai this morning we are just going to let him get in his rhythm and be wherever he is happy.
“He is going to be vulnerable first-up over a mile and he has had one trial less than we wanted to give him and we don’t want to use him up too much early and want to see him hitting the line and running a good race.
“If he happens to win, which he has the quality to, we would be very happy with that.”
The Cleaner has been the best backed runner in Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes betting markets and is into a quote of $5, while the Offer is available at odds of $13 to give Waterhouse her second straight in the Group 2 event after she won the 2013 edition of the race with subsequent Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente.
The Offer remains favourite in 2014 Melbourne Cup betting markets after the nominations for the race were released yesterday and he is also on top of the 2014 Caulfield Cup betting market with Ladbrokes Australia after he was allocated 54 and a half kilograms by Racing Victoria Chief Handicapper Greg Carpenter.
