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By Ray Hickson

Jockey Tommy Berry is expecting promising three-year-old Wymark to make the case for connections to pay the Australian Derby late entry by raising the bar again at Rosehill on Saturday.

Tommy Berry (Pic: Bradley Photos)

The Michael Freedman-trained gelding has burst onto the scene in the past six weeks with three wins on end, including downing the older horses at Rosehill two weeks ago, and goes on trial for the Derby in the Group 2 $300,000 Toyota Forklifts Tulloch Stakes (2000m).

While the Rosehill Guineas is often thought of as the A1 lead up, the Tulloch has produced five of the last seven Derby winners including Major Beel, who was beaten a nose in the Tulloch, last year.

“Everything about him you love, he’s got a great racing style and he can put himself on speed,’’ Berry said.

“I don’t think it matters wet or dry with him. He’s kept improving every time he's stepped out.

“His gallop on Tuesday morning suggests he’s improved on his last win against older horses.”

Wymark, $3.10 with TAB on Friday and $11 in the Derby, followed a runaway 10 length provincial win with a dominant display in a Benchmark 78 at 1900m and that was Berry’s first race ride on the three-year-old.

He said Wymark has found himself in foreign territory in his past two wins, hitting the front a fair way from home and running about, so he still has plenty of scope for improvement.

“He got a little bit lost as he did the start before when he won by a big margin, he feels like he’s sharpened up a bit,’’ Berry said.

“If he finds himself in front on his own a bit earlier than expected he’ll still be nice and strong through the line, that’s the feel I got from him from Tuesday morning.”

Berry said he’d be hoping for the Tulloch to be run genuinely as he feels that’s where Wymark will really come into his own despite dominating off a slower tempo of late.

“Not only did he do it he won with authority. He won off a slow tempo and showed a good turn of foot,’’ he said.

“A stayer with a turn of foot is lethal, we’ve seen it time and time again. If it’s a fast run race he’s only going to sit off the back of them and show the same turn of foot.

“He’s a versatile sort of horse and he was one I wasn’t disappointed to see draw wide on the weekend because you know he’s got the speed to put himself into the race.”

Buckaroo backs up in the Group 1 $1.5 million Kia Tancred Stakes (2400m) after a close third behind Via Sistina in last week’s Ranvet.

He finished right alongside Berry on Place Du Carrousel and the jockey is happy to have picked up the ride on the Chris Waller-trained import having done plenty of work on the horse earlier in the preparation.

“I rode him first-up and was very pleased with the way he went,’’ he said.

“Ryan (Moore) rode him the other day and he came out a little bit slow and ended up in a position where he was a bit dictated to. He was able to get out late and was strong on the line.”

Wymark wins at Rosehill on March 16

The five-year-old, $5 with TAB on Friday, hasn’t raced at 2400m previously.

“It’s obviously a query but he did look strong the other day so I don’t think it’ll be an issue and if it isn’t he’ll be hard to beat,’’ he said.

Tommy Berry on Linebacker (race 3): “I’m really excited to see him. I rode him on Tuesday morning and gee he’s a lovely colt, there’s something about him. He’s got natural speed and a beautiful racing style.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Rosehill meeting