The texts that show Big Dance is gaining ground on Melbourne Cup

Every year, on the first Tuesday of November, jockey Tommy Berry would receive text messages from long-lost schoolfriends, asking him, ‘Who do you like in the Melbourne Cup?’

“This year, they were all like, ‘What do you like in the Big Dance?’” Berry said.

A few of those friends must have been tempted to buy Berry a beer or two after he rode Gringotts to a classy victory in the $3 million Randwick feature.

Gringotts drew wide in barrier 23, but Berry had a plan: roll forward down the back straight and have the gelding at the front of the pack when swinging for home.

“When you grow up, you want to win Melbourne Cups, and it’s the one day everyone watches,” Berry said.

“My friends from school still text me at this time. They’d normally ask, ‘What’s your tip for the Melbourne Cup, and how do you think you’ll go?’ This year it was, ‘What do you like in the Big Dance?’ It was pretty cool. It shows a race like the Big Dance how far it has come [in just three years].

Never in doubt: Tommy Berry returns to scale on Big Dance winner Gringotts.Credit: James Brickwood/SMH

“When Gringotts jumped so well, I rode him like the best horse in the race – we knew we had the best horse in the race.

“It took luck out of the equation. I had plenty of horse at the top of the straight. I gave him a bit of a niggle – I squeezed him with my feet coming around the corner, and he really pulled me through the corner.

“You would have noticed I hit a bit of a flat spot when I changed the stick from left to right, but when I gave him a couple on the right, he stretched out and pulled away for a dominant win.

“Randwick is a more forgiving track than Rosehill [when it comes to bad barriers]. You have a beautiful long back straight and it gives you time to find a position.”

Berry had the chance to ride Athabascan in the Melbourne Cup, but passed because he knew he needed more time to get his weight down to 52kg.

As it happened, Athabascan was scratched the night before the Cup – with Berry disappointed for connections and trainer John O’Shea, but also grateful he had stayed behind in Sydney to partner the horse whose quirky name was inspired by the Harry Potter series.

Kerry O’Keeffe was on hand to watch Gallant Star win the Barn Dance at Randwick.Credit: Getty Images

The Ciaron Maher-trained gelding, which started $5 with bookies and has now only missed a place once in 16 career starts, qualified for the Big Dance with victory in the Tamworth Cup. Stablemate Vivy Air ($26) did well to rattle home for second, with Suparazi ($14) third.

Gringotts may now be aimed at The Gong later this month, then return to the Randwick mile for the Villiers Stakes in December.

Skull’s laughing after Gallant Star salutes

Former Test spinner Kerry O’Keeffe celebrated victory as a part-owner when Gallant Star rocketed to victory in the Barn Dance. The only thing more impressive than the win was the silks worn by winning jockey Jason Collett.

“[Fellow owner] David [Ringland] said to me, ‘It’s up to you to set our colours’, so I told him I like pink and black, and I know it’s a bit self consuming, but I’ll get the skull as well’,” said O’Keeffe, affectionately known as ‘Skull’.

“This horse tries his heart out, and he’s quick – this horse has given me more fun in racing than anything I’ve ever done.”

Gallant Star cost O’Keeffe $32,000. Tuesday’s win took its career earnings over $600,000.

A Little consolation for Chad

He was beaten on the Big Dance favourite, but jockey Chad Schofield jagged the Little Dance after he lifted St Lawrence across the line.

It was a lucrative day for some of the owners of St Lawrence, who also had shares in Big Dance winner Gringotts. And if all goes to plan, St Lawrence could pop up in The Gong next start against his Ciaron Maher stablemate.

“That was a nice consolation,” Schofield said. “I wasted hard to ride Tavi Time at 53kg [in the Big Dance]. We enjoyed a good trip, he was beaten under two lengths. He’s a nice horse with a nice race in him – he’s almost ready for a bit further.

Chad Schofield and St Lawrence edges out Estadio Mestalla in the Little Dance.Credit: James Brickwood

“This horse [St Lawrence] has won two in a row now. I loved the fight he showed in the end, the second horse [Estadio Mestalla] kicked and he gave me a good feel.”

Maher’s Sydney stable chief Johann Gerard-Dubord welcomed the Dance double, and said of St Lawrence: “He’s always shown plenty, but he’s lacked that killer instinct. That last win has given him confidence.”

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