Gai Waterhouse makes sure Tommy Berry and Tres Blue are ticking over for Melbourne Cup

TOMMY Berry and French recruit Tres Blue are benefitting from the "Waterhouse workload" as they prepare for the Melbourne Cup next Tuesday.

Tommy Berry takes a photograph of Tres Blue, who he believes comes down under with similar credentials to Fiorente. Picture: Colleen Petch

STAR jockey Tommy Berry and French recruit Tres Blue are benefitting from the "Waterhouse workload" as they prepare for the $6.2 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington next Tuesday.

Trainer Gai Waterhouse is making sure there will be no fitter horse-jockey combination than Berry and Tres Blue for next week's big race.

She has Berry doing extra track riding and fitness sessions to ensure the jockey makes 51kg for the big race while there is no stayer doing more trackwork at Werribee than Tres Blue.

Berry got his first feel of Tres Blue at Werribee trackwork yesterday, galloping along at three-quarter pace and completing three laps of the 1800m course.

"I’m 52.5kg a the moment and haven’t had a sweat, I‘m feeling great," Berry said. "I’ve been eating a lot of fruit and fish and it’s starting to fall off me, so it’s all good.

"Gai's keeping me very busy and she wants me here (Werribee) every morning until the Cup. She’s got me riding work early at Flemington and then Werribee before going back for more training.

Tommy Berry takes a photograph of Tres Blue, who he believes comes down under with similar credentials to Fiorente. Picture: Colleen Petch

"I rode in the Melbourne Cup last year but Gai’s got me running two laps of Flemington every afternoon just to get used to the track.

"She’s training me more than the horse!"

Berry rode Glencadam Gold to run sixth in last year's Melbourne Cup but after his first ride on Tres Blue yesterday, he is confident of improving on that placing next week.

"I think he’s a better chance than 'Glencadam'," Berry said. "This horse can adapt to races a bit better.

"He just had a nice canter around this morning but gave me a lovely feel. He’s a nice horse.

Tommy Berry gets his first feel of Tres Blue at Werribee trackwork, galloping along at three-quarter pace and completing three laps of the 1800m course. Picture: Colleen Petch

""I’ve had a look at all of his tapes and he looks like a great horse to ride. He bounces out the gates, puts himself on the speed, relaxes and has a nice turn of foot.

"He really grinds the race out so he’s everything you want in a Melbourne Cup horse."

Berry said Tres Blue comes down under with similar credentials to Fiorente, which ran an outstanding second in the Melbourne Cup last year.

"He’s got great form behind him, just as good a form as Fiorente did when he came over last preparation," Berry said.

"We can’t fault him at the moment. Still a little over a week away and fingers crossed that everything holds together."

Meanwhile, after two disappointing runs in the Turnbull Stakes and Caulfield Cup, Glencadam Gold has been withdrawn from the Melbourne Cup with Waterhouse advising the stayer is going for a spell.