An emotional Tommy Berry breaks Group 1 drought with Gringotts in George Ryder Stakes

Classy galloper Gringotts claimed his maiden Group 1 and gave Tommy Berry his first in three years with a thrilling victory in the George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill.

Gringotts (rails) wins a thriller from Fangirl (right) and Ceolwulf in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill. Picture: Getty Images

Star jockey Tommy Berry had to wait a couple of extra furlongs to find out Gringotts had broken his Group 1 drought in a thrilling three-way duel at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Gringotts, trained by Ciaron Maher, got his head down at the opportune moment to edge out the flying Fangirl and Ceolwulf in the Group 1 $1m George Ryder Stakes (1500m).

“I had my head down so the barrier boys told me down the back straight that I got there,” Berry said.

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“It’s not a good feeling when you have to wait another two and a half furlongs if you’ve won but it well worth the wait.”

Berry had endured a rollercoaster couple of years since his last Group 1 aboard No Compromise in the 2022 The Metropolitan.

He spent the bulk of 2023 on the sidelines after being disqualified for improper dealings with a punter and was kept out of the saddle to begin 2025 through injury.

Gringotts gave him his 38th Group 1 in a George Ryder epic.

“I am bit lost for words at the moment, it’s still a bit raw,” Berry said.

Gringotts gets his first G1 win in an epic edition of the George Ryder Stakes! 🙌@cmaherracing | @TommyBerry21 | @aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/RxCWoAgtb4

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 22, 2025

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“I am really happy to be able to do it on a horse like this.

“He was the headline horse that I had when I came back from my disqualification and he’s taken me to a Group 1.

“I am excited to ride him in a Doncaster now but to have my wife (Sharnee) and aunties and uncles here today with plenty of my family, it always makes it more special.”

Berry had Gringotts poised to strike in behind pacesetter Royal Patronage ($3.90 equal favourite).

He had the son of Per Incanto in clear air from the top of the straight and hit the front inside the final 150m.

Gringotts ($6) toughed it out over the concluding stages to edge out Chris Waller’s Fangirl ($5) by a nose while the Joseph Pride-trained Ceolwulf ($3.90 equal favourite) was the same margin away in third.

Tommy Berry gets a hug from his wife Sharnee Berry after the race. Picture: Getty Images

“I was smiling for a different reason, it wasn’t for winning but it was just good to see him come back the way he did,” Berry said.

“You pay the believers and we’re guys that are part of the ownership team and Ciaron and Joh (Gerard-Dubord) and all the team at home there.

“He came to me in the middle of the mounting yard today and he said ‘I know the Doncaster is our main aim but I couldn’t have him any better for today.

“He turned up and he’s just a war horse, he knows where the line is and he fought hard to win today.”

Maher has long earmarked Gringotts as a Group 1 horse in waiting.

A brilliant spring campaign delivered feature wins in the Listed Big Dance and Group 3 The Gong but Maher always had bigger things in mind.

"On to the Donnie next!"

Hear from a very happy @cmaherracing and @TommyBerry21 after the win of Gringotts in the G1 George Ryder Stakes...@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/HWkQq8ky3R

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 22, 2025

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Gringotts put the writing on the wall with a slashing third with 61kg on his back in the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) before backing it up in his maiden Group 1 assignment.

“I think he blew the clock up last start over the last 600m so stepping up in trip was ideal,” Maher said.

“You could feel he was building.

“Fangirl is obviously very hard to beat as she always is but he was fantastic.”

Gringotts is now primed to take his place in next month’s $4 million Doncaster Mile where his is now a $6 equal favourite with Broadsiding and has been allotted 55.5kg.

The beaten brigade would have lost no admirers in defeat.

Ceolwulf’s jockey Chad Schofield thought his gelding’s performance was a “fantastic run” while James McDonald was gracious in defeat.

“You win some, you lose some. She has gone well,” he said.

Royal Patronage was only beaten a touch over half a length after leading the field up and fighting the length of the straight.

Originally published as An emotional Tommy Berry breaks Group 1 drought with Gringotts in George Ryder Stakes