Brothers Berry hatch winning plan as Unencumbered crushes rivals in Magic Millions Classic
NATHAN Berry has carried out his twin brother's instructions to perfection in guiding Unencumbered to MM Classic success.
Racing
Don't miss out on the headlines from Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News.
TOMMY Berry had some simple advice for his twin brother Nathan, who carried out the instructions to perfection in guiding Unencumbered to Magic Millions Classic success yesterday.
Tommy had twice won this race and showed his liking for the Coast with an early treble yesterday, Nathan was having his first ride in the $2 million feature and said he had "done too much form" and had only five hours sleep in the two nights before yesterday as he knew every jockey and horse inside out.
But Tommy told him to keep it simple.
"Tom's my best mate and he helped me get through today," Nathan said.
"He told me 'you're on the best horse and just ride it like it's a $2000 race.'
"Tom's won two of these and another three today. This was my first ride and it's nice to get the big one out of the way."
Berry is now off for a stint to Singapore, but trainer Bjorn Baker said the Golden Slipper ride will be waiting for him if he wants it.
"I rate Nathan very similar to the horse," Baker said.
"He has the best attitude of anyone I've ever met. He's a hard worker and there's no doubt he's going to the top. This will be a great step in his career."
Baker said he caught the Magic Millions bug 15 years ago when he "cobbled together $80 to put on Testa Rossa and he blew them away."
Last year was the first time he had come to Magic Millions as a trainer in his own right and with Testa Rossa still vivid in his mind, he approached Newhaven Park's John Kelly soon after a colt by the stallion had been passed in through the ring.
He was able to do the deal for $70,000 and he now has not only a colt with earnings knocking on the door of $2 million, but a valuable stallion prospect.
"How good's this? It's a dream come true," Baker said.
"I remember when he won his first start people potted him, but he just keeps getting better and better all the time.
"He's by Testa Rossa out of a good More Than Ready mare so we will have to look at the Slipper and hopefully one day we will come back here and watch a few of his babies winning."
Berry insists the public still hasn't seen the best of Unencumbered, who has won five of his six starts and became the 21st Magic Millions winner in 25 years to have been a last start winner.
"I said it after he won last time and he did the same today. Once he gets there, he just pulls up and waits for them," he said.
"If he had something else to chase, he would have found another two lengths." It capped a wonderful week for Kelly, who sold the only $1 million lot of the sale last week.
"I don't want the week to end," he said.
"I bought the mare off the track and she didn't have much luck early, but she's doing a great job now."
Kelly has a Bernardini filly wrapped in cotton wool ahead of April's Easter yearling sale and the mare has a Commands filly at foot and is in foal to Denman.
Marshall scores Hole In One at Kranji farewell
Brisbane jockey Taylor Marshall will have the opportunity to win the last ever race run at Kranji next month when he takes the ride on Hole In One in the Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup.
‘Skin in the game without costing the world’: Nelson’s new ‘edge’ to syndication
In just a short amount of time in operation, Edge Thoroughbreds is making its impression felt in the ultra-competitive thoroughbred syndication market.