Tommy Berry has just completed a stellar year in the saddle but to win on My Destiny for his father Kevin at Randwick tomorrow will no doubt top all the Group 1 wins of the season.
Tommy Berry celebrating after winning the Doncaster Mile on Sacred Falls. Photo by Steve Hart.
Kevin Berry has no hesitation in calling on Tommy to ride My Destiny in the $85,000 Young Professionals In Racing July Sprint (1200m) when twin brother Nathan was relegated to the sidelines through suspension.
“Nathan has done most of the work with him but he’s out suspended and I went for the next best thing,” Kevin Berry said.
“There’s nothing between them, Tommy had a few breaks early in the piece and Nathan couldn’t keep out of the stewards’ room and still can’t by the looks of it.”
“He’s going back to the sports psychologist and last time he did that it helped a great deal.”
My Destiny is a winner of five races but has only had one start for Berry after being transferred from Con Karakatsanis following his disqualification.
My Destiny spent eighteen months out of racing due to injury but pulled up fine following his first run for Berry when third over 1100m at Rosehill on July 6.
“He’s done very well since that run. I was going to run him last week in the 1100m race but I thought that would be too short for him second-up,” Kevin Berry said.
Berry said that My Destiny failed to impress in two barrier trials prior to his first run for the stable so he was pleased to see the five year old race so well at Rosehill.
“It was pleasing to see him run well especially over 1100m which is way too short for him. This is a bit more up his alley and Randwick will suit him,” Berry said.
Tommy Berry has only just returned to Sydney after taking up a short term contract in April to ride in Hong Kong while leading the Sydney jockey’s premiership as a result of a stellar year that saw him ride five Group 1 winners in Australia including the $3.5m AAMI Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on Overreach and the $2m BMW Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on Sacred Falls during the Autumn.
Tommy Berry created a huge impression in his short time in Hong Kong, riding twenty-two winners including the win on Military Attack in the Group 1 HK$14m The Audemars Piguet QEII Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin on April 28.
My Destiny is currently at $7.50 in the July Sprint betting which sees the Marc Quin trained Pentasia the top pick at $4.50.
