Tommy Berry could do nothing wrong at Kembla Grange

Four winners from five rides for Tommy Berry at Kembla Grange proved an excellent day at the office for the hoop.

On Wednesday, conditions were heavy at Kembla Grange, where Tommy Berry was the best hoop to negotiate the conditions. Berry had five mounts on a seven-race card and rode four winners with some perfectly judged rides. 

Tommy Berry has had controversies in his career, but it is hard to regard him as anything other than an exceptional hoop when he can show off his talents. The 32-year-old has 34 Group 1 wins from almost 1,500 winners in his career in Australia alone, but his hunger for success shows no signs of stopping.

Prince is one of two for Snowden

There were only four runners in race two on the card, which made things easier for Berry to get off the mark on Prince Of Arendell. Always close to the pace over the 2000m distance, Berry kicked for home about 300m from home and got the winner's train rolling.

It was the perfect opportunity for the gelding to get his head in front for the first time in his ninth race. Things will get more challenging for him now, but stamina is his strength, opening up more options.

Cummings provides a winner for boys in blue

It has taken a while for Restonica to get off the mark but he finally broke his maiden at the sixth time of asking for James Cummings. The rise in trip to 1400m for the first time in his career looked a plus for him, powering away in the final 200m. 

His dam was a Group 2 winner on a Good 3 surface, and by Exceed And Excel, he has probably done this on ground that will have been soft enough for him. He has only run on good ground once and might improve once he returns to a sound surface. 

Brave win from Katsumoto

The winner of a maiden at the same track in mid-December on Good 4, these were very different conditions for the four-year-old having just the second start of his life. He looked beaten 200m out when Narrative swept past him, but Katsumoto showed a great attitude to battle back to get his head in front again late on.

That battling quality will stand him in good stead down the line. Connections have had to be patient with him, but this performance suggests that there are bigger and better things to come from the son of Unusual Suspect. He is one going in the black book.

Zarrose, from last to first

Held up in last in the early stages, this was a perfectly judged ride from Berry as the leaders went off plenty fast given the conditions. She briefly looked like she was struggling with the underfoot conditions as they entered the straight, but once she got organised, she stayed on strongly down the outside. 

She was a second winner on the day for Peter & Paul Snowden, who provided Berry with his opening success. She has only had four starts in her career, so she is another who is worth sticking in the black book when looking for future winners. Her dam was a Group 1 winner at four, so this filly can do better next spring.

Sadly, Tipitina could not make it a perfect 5/5 on the day in the last race. He had not raced since March 2022, but the money came anyway, given the day that Berry was having. It was a respectable run in sixth, but the long absence told.

Four winners from five rides is a cracker of a day's work by anyone's standards. Berry has been flying with a newfound hunger since returning from his spring suspension. Hopefully, he can keep making the headlines for the right reasons in 2024.