Tommy Berry has been upfront about his ambition to partner the improving stayer Soul Of Spain in the Sydney Cup, first pursuing the ride and then pledging to stick with him throughout the autumn carnival.
To date, it seems a shrewd choice with the Chris Waller-trained gelding joint favourite for next month’s two-mile highlight, and a serious contender in Saturday’s weight-for-age Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill.
The ex-Irish galloper made his mark last spring by securing a couple of morale-boosting victories in Queensland before triumphing in the Newcastle Cup (2300m) and placing runner-up in the Metropolitan (2400m).
Recently, he has impressed with strong finishing efforts in his last two outings, ending sixth behind the star Autumn Glow second-up in the Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m) in February, then filling the placings behind only Vauban in the Sky High Stakes (2000m) on March 14.
Berry is delighted with his efforts and notes that although the Tancred Stakes weight terms may not be perfect, Soul Of Spain should thrive over the longer distance.
“Obviously, the step up to 2400 metres is going to suit on the way to a Sydney Cup . . . although, he’s got to meet some pretty handy horses at around the same weight,” Berry said.
“Last ‘prep’ he was doing things on raw ability when he was coming through the grades, but he is a lot more seasoned.
“Chris Waller got to travel him a little bit last preparation, up in Queensland and back to Sydney, and usually that’s very good for stayers. He has come back a more professional racehorse, and he’s got a really good turn of speed.”
Although Berry considers a Tancred Stakes success an extra prize, he sees the Rosehill showdown as perfect preparation for Soul Of Spain’s Sydney Cup mission, particularly since the five-year-old drops from 59kg under weight-for-age on Saturday to 53.5kg in the handicap.
“He’s ready to take the next step and Chris always uses a method getting to his grand finals, and the race on Saturday is one he’s used previously to get his better horses to a Sydney Cup,” he said.
Check the Australian betting sites for the top Sydney Cup markets.