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By Ray Hickson

Jockey Tommy Berry is hoping to make use of a tactical advantage he feels Gringotts has over his major rivals in Saturday’s $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.

Jockey Tommy Berry (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The Group 1 winning six-year-old was forced into an unfamiliar role when he resumed on the heavy track in the Winx Stakes but from barrier one on a good track, and with the run under his belt, Berry expects a completely different scenario.

That’s not to say Berry felt Gringotts disappointed first-up, far from it, but when you’re taking on top class milers like Fangirl and Ceolwulf and company his turn of foot will come in handy.

“It’s always nice when a good horse has tactical speed and they can put a bit of a gap on them on the corner,’’ Berry said.

“From one it gives me a chance to find a spot and use his good turn of speed.

“Fangirl is the main one to beat and she’ll be spotting us two or three lengths but she did that in the George Ryder and just missed so it showed what a quality mare she is.”

On that first-up run Berry said a split second incident prior to the home turn put Gringotts, $6 with TAB on Friday, at a disadvantage as it fired him up and he made use of his sprint a lot earlier than ideal.

He sidled up to the leaders coming to the 300m but Berry felt he was coming to the end of his run and that was evident in the final 100m as he weakened into fifth behind Via Sistina so Ciaron Maher sent him back to the trials.

“He carries a bit more weight than what he has in the past and he was forced to make his run about 600m from home,’’ Berry said.

“When the stablemate got racing up around him I had to expose him a bit early and I got taken wider on the track. He’s sprinted really well from the 600 to the 200 and just blown out late.

“If I’m able to stay covered up until the top of the straight I believe he storms home and finishes in the top three instead.

“His tickover trial was great, the team are happy with him and he’s drawn where we can pick our own spot.”

Barrier one was a blessing for promising filly Apocalyptic when she made her long awaited return with a win in the Furious Stakes but Berry is wary it’s not going to be so simple in the Group 2 $300,000 Myplates Tea Rose Stakes (1400m).

Berry said he’ll sum the race up once the gates open, as he doesn’t want to over race again like she did in the early stages of the Furious.

“She raced a bit fresh being away from the scene for a while and we asked her to be closer than what she usually would from a good alley to hold a spot,’’ he said.

“I was happy with the way she was strong through the line and that’s what we wanted to see from her.

“It’s a tricky barrier and it leaves us open minded about where we want to be and I think it’s important to get into a nice rhythm and relaxed and if she can do that she’ll be strongest late.

“She’s always felt like she’d be better over a little bit further. She’s going to need a few things to go right for her and she’ll have to show her class again.”

Gringotts' first-up run in the Winx Stakes

It was only her second race start, having missed the autumn after an eye-catching debut in late December, so she’s giving away experience to her rivals but Berry is confident she will make up for lost time this season.

“It was a relief for her to do what she did because we knew she had that in her for quite a while,’’ he said.

“We’ve been talking about her for quite a while and it was nice to take the weight off our shoulders.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Randwick meeting