A hot trial from Tupakara has jockey Tom Sherry quietly confident the filly can topple his rivals in the $1m Golden Gift

Jockey Tom Sherry believes a more experienced and professional Tupakara will be on show in the $1m Golden Gift at Rosehill as she looks to book her place in the Golden Slipper.

An eye-catching trial has grown jockey Tom Sherry’s confidence that promising filly Tupakara is ready to give a sight in Saturday’s Group 3 $1 million Golden Gift (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens.

Sherry, who is holding out hope of defending his Five Diamonds crown, will put another feature race scalp in his cross hairs when he reconnects with Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald’s untapped filly.

Sherry has ridden Tupakara in all of her public appearances to date and believes the daughter of Trapeze Artist is set for a big future.

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Tupakara was unlucky in her debut before working home strongly to finish fourth in the Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) last month, won by Bel Merci.

Sherry has put Tupakara through her paces in a tick over trial since then, winning by more than three lengths, to help put the finishing touches on her preparation for the lucrative Golden Gift.

“She is a lovely filly,” Sherry said.

“She had a nice little break in the paddock after the Gimcrack and her trial the other day was very pleasing.

“It was very professional. She had come on a lot more and is more professional and switched on.

“I think from the good gate on Saturday she should end up in the right position and run a race.”

Tupakara only had one trial heading into her debut and didn’t have the clearest running in Sydney’s first two-year-old fillies race of the season.

She didn’t have the clearest running the straight but regathered herself and hit the line strongly to just miss the placings.

Sherry believes Tupakara would have learned plenty from the experience.

Thank you very much! 🙏

The fav Bel Merci by Extreme Choice wins the G3 Gimcrack Stakes with absolute ease!@aus_turf_club | @SchofieldChad | @JTRacingRwikpic.twitter.com/DED9h3RVoS

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 5, 2024

• ‘Sorry, he gets emotional talking about this horse’

“The other day was obviously her first start but there were plenty of green horses and she did cop a bump towards the bend,” Sherry said.

“She had to go through a tight gap so she showed good grittiness and a will to win.

“I thought she hit the line really strong and the 100m more on Saturday will definitely suit her.”

Purchased for just $150,000 at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale earlier this year, Tupakara is a close relation to 2018 Golden Slipper winner Estijaab.

Tupakara would give her own Golden Slipper aspirations a huge boost if she could win the Golden Gift.

The $580,000 winner’s cheque assures the victor entry into the coveted two-year-old field, should they be fit when the race comes around in March.

Tupakara is a $4.60 second elect for the Golden Gift where the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained North England is a $3.50 favourite.

Sherry is hopeful of chasing a stakes double on the card is desperate for the chance to defend his Listed Five Diamonds crown.

Back-to-back features for @BBakerRacing! 🏆🏆

A @Rachelk11 special aboard Iknowastar sees the consistent galloper take the Five Diamonds Prelude at Randwick 💎💎 pic.twitter.com/wahyXhOnuQ

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 26, 2024

• Shayne O’Cass’s Rosehill tips, analysis for Saturday

The former champion apprentice won last year’s race on the Peter and Paul Snowden galloper Unspoken and has been booked to pilot Holymanz ($51) in this year’s event.

But Sherry will need a stroke of fortune for Ciaron Maher’s Holymanz to gain a start with the gelding needing two more scratchings to get in the field.

“I think it’s an open race,” Sherry said.

“I thought his run the other day was OK after it took him a little while to wind up.

“He was off the bit a long way out but stepping up in trip to the 1800m will really suit him so hopefully he makes the field from a good gate where there is plenty of money up for grabs.”

Holymanz would jump from a perfect draw in barrier two and is coming off a last star fifth in the Listed Five Diamonds Prelude (1500m) last month.

Sherry also rides Putt For Dough (race one), Not That Easy (race two), Laguna Seca (race three) and Extraordinaire (race five).

Originally published as A hot trial from Tupakara has jockey Tom Sherry quietly confident the filly can topple his rivals in the $1m Golden Gift