Jockey Tommy Berry delivers 10/10 ride to guide Gringotts to victory in the Big Dance at Royal Randwick

Trainer Ciaron Maher has earmarked Gringotts a star of the future following his victory in the $3m Big Dance at Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day.

Gringotts has taken out the $3m Big Dance at Royal Randwick

From the Tamworth Cup in autumn to the Big Dance at Royal Randwick on the first Tuesday in November.

This was the road well-travelled by Gringotts as champion jockey Tommy Berry enhanced his record in feature Randwick mile races with a tactical masterpiece in the feature Sydney race on Cup Day.

Gringotts, trained by Ciaron Maher, came out of barrier 19 but began so brilliantly, Berry was able to glide across the front of the field, settle on speed and then seize control as the field thundered over the famous rise at the top of the Randwick straight.

“I hate being in front that far out, I was just trying to get him home,’’ Berry said.

“We spoke about how many seconds I have had in big races over the last 12 months so I just held my nerve and Gringotts got the job done.’’

Gringotts ($5) maintained a strong gallop to the line and never looked in danger of being run down, scoring by three-quarters of a length from Vivy Air ($26) to give Maher the Big Dance stable quinella.

Suparazi ($14) was a similar margin away in third place with favourite Tavi Time ($3.50) a close fourth.

“When he pinged out of the gates, I took all the bad luck out of the equation,’’ Berry said.

“I knew I was on the best horse going in and all I wanted to do was find cover but when I jumped that well, then finding cover wasn’t really an option.

Tommy Berry was all smiles returning to scale after a pearler of a ride to guide Gringotts to victory in the $3m Big Dance Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

“The leader (Zouatica) took us across and then Gringotts showed his quality today.

“Full credit to Ciaron and the team, his preparation was timed to perfection today.

“He was a bit fresh with me last start and I said can we put a little bit more work into him and they got him here spot on. This was where the big money was and we got it right at the right time.’’

Berry’s win in the Big Dance adds to his extraordinary record of big race wins over the famous Randwick mile course.

Berry has already ridden the winners of the Doncaster Mile (Sacred Falls, 2013), Epsom Handicap (Fat Al, 2012), King Charles III Stakes (Kolding, 2020), Randwick Guineas (Inference, 2017), Flight Stakes (Speak Fondly, 2015), Champagne Stakes (She’s Extreme, 2022) and two Queen of the Turf Stakes (Diamond Drille, 2014, and Nettoyer, 2021) all over the 1600m at Randwick.

The only Group 1 Randwick mile race Berry hasn’t won yet is the Verry Elleegant Stakes.

Gringotts will be targeted towards The Gong and the Ingham before embarking on a tilt towards next year’s Doncaster Handicap Picture: Sam Ruttyn

It has been a sensational spring carnival for Maher who prepared Bella Nipotina to win The Everest and Russell Balding Stakes, Duke De Sessa won the Caulfield Cup, and now The Big Dance quinella which took his stable earnings for the 2024-25 to over $30 million – and there is still nearly nine months of the season to go!

Gringotts improved his record to eight wins (and seven placings) from 16 starts, taking his career earnings to nearly $2.5 million – and he’s not finished yet.

Johann Gerard-Dubord, Maher’s Sydney stable representative, said Gringotts has only had three runs this spring and could easily stay in training for the Group 3 $1 million The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange on November 23 and then the Group 2 $2 million The Ingham (1600m) at Royal Randwick on December 14.

“Gringotts has Group 1 ability,’’ Gerard-Dubord said. “He could even be a Doncaster Mile horse next autumn.’’

Gringotts banks a win as he races away in the $3 Million Big Dance at Randwick, with @TommyBerry21 in the saddle for @cmaherracing who quinella's the race! 💃 🕺@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/wquEnrZhK1

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 5, 2024

Gerard-Dubord said Gringotts had been aimed at the Big Dance since his win in the Tamworth Cup back in April.

“We don’t go to Tamworth very often, obviously he was the right horse to do that, he has been very progressive,’’ Gerard-Dubord said.

“The plan was to have him peaking for today. It has been a target for months now.

“He was just a bit fresh second-up but today the horse was fit, Tommy had plenty of confidence in him.

“The barrier was always going to be a concern, but we were very confident in the way he was going.

“So we had a bit of work to do early, but the horse was peaking, he was fit. We thought he was the best horse in the race and Tommy rode him accordingly.’’

Gerard-Dubord said Vivy Air continues to improve every start and ran bravely for second.

“It’s her first preparation with us, we have taken our time but she looks better all the time,’’ he said.

“She is happier, she is a mare that’s living at Bong Bong and she is loving it there. It is a great effort from the team.”

Originally published as Jockey Tommy Berry delivers 10/10 ride to guide Gringotts to victory in the Big Dance at Royal Randwick