Tommy Berry and Curren Mirotic will make 2016 Melbourne Cup a true test

PUNTERS take note, Tommy Berry has vowed Japanese raider Curren Mirotic will not allow a repeat of last years’ snail-paced Melbourne Cup.

TOMMY Berry has vowed Japanese raider Curren Mirotic will not allow a repeat of last years’ snail-paced Melbourne Cup which was nearly six seconds slower than Protectionist’s winning time in 2014.

He said he would ride the nine-year-old gelding on the pace and pour on the speed from the 1000m mark and has already been told he won’t be blamed if his horse runs last.

But he guarantees it will a genuine test for stayers.

Berry said the Japanese were used to more speed in their races and had become frustrated over the past few years with what they perceived as the Cup becoming slower and slower. Last year’s time was 3.23.15 secs.

“And it’s very frustrating for them when they have brought a few horses out that get back,” he said.

“So they have found a horse this year that races up on the pace and if the pace isn’t there to suit us, we’ll make it suit us.”

Berry galloped Curren Mirotic with a travelling companion at Werribee yesterday in a performance that didn’t look flattering, but nevertheless pleased the Sydney hoop who is a regular rider in Japan.

Tommy Berry has vowed to keep the pace of the 2016 Melbourne Cup high on his mount Curren Mirotic.

“It was nice work,” Berry said.

“He worked over a mile (1600m) on Monday morning and he left his partner by five lengths but this morning it was a lot sharper work and it was over 1000m and he had a tracker (timer) on him and the tracker got him running 34 secs for the last 600m.

Berry has only ridden Curren Mirotic once, in the Takarazuka Kinen (2200m) in Japan in June when the Osamu Hirata trained gelding started at $87 and finished 11th in a field of 17. It followed his narrow second in the Tenno Sho (3200m) when he was $99. His last race was in September in the Sankei Sho (2200m) when he finished in front of three runners.

But Berry isn’t concerned with Curren Mirotic’s drifting odds and old age.

“He is well looked after and he is lightly raced (37 starts),” he said.

“He looks in great condition and doesn’t look or feel like a nine year old.

“He is an older horse and he can have his off day and I am not going to lie about that. He can put in some pretty poor performances and we have seen that through his preparations but I just love that every time he gets to 3200, he rarely is disappointing. I am looking forward to him stepping out to that trip.”

With what Berry describes as impeccable 3200m form, he makes a strong case for the stayer who he says is not a sit and sprint type and not the sort of horse who wants to hit the front too early.

He says Curren Mirotic has to be at his top at the corner.

“And I have spoken to the connections and if he gets beaten doing that, if I go out hard and put the pace on from the half mile (800m) and he runs last, well it’s not my fault,” he said

“That’s what they want and they have given me the confidence to do that and if doesn’t work, they are happy with that but that’s the only way he can win.”

Berry believes half the field got it wrong with the pace of last year’s Melbourne Cup, including him.

“I would have loved to have taken up the pace and I knew they were going too slow but I wasn’t on the horse to do it.”

He says it will be different on Tuesday.

Originally published as Tommy Berry and Curren Mirotic will make 2016 Melbourne Cup a true test