2 weeks ago
2
By Craig Kerry
February 19, 2026 — 5.00pm
After a spring to remember, the Tommy Berry-Michael Freedman combination was probably due for a rough patch heading into the autumn carnival.
The jockey-trainer duo enjoyed multiples stakes success in Sydney last spring with Apocalyptic and Manaal, and won others with Marhoona, Incognito and Ohope.
Tommy Berry winning the Breeders Plate on Incognito in October.Credit: Getty Images
However, a controversial second in the Magic Millions Guineas for Ninja, which was heavily checked and failed to win on protest, then first-up losses for Incognito and Group 1 winner Apocalyptic have made for a frustrating lead-up to the autumn.
Berry, though, hopes a change in gear, tactics and luck of the draw can put the pair back in the winners’ circle in feature races on Saturday at Rosehill.
Breeders Plate winner Incognito ($5.50, gate five) returns in the Group 2 Silver Slipper from a fifth first-up in the Canonbury Stakes.
Berry and Freedman believed the son of their Golden Slipper winner, Stay Inside, displaced his palate in the Canonbury and they hoped the addition of a tongue tie, which he used in track work on Tuesday, would get him back to his best. Berry thought a shift back in tactics would also help.
“He’s accepted the gear change pretty well, and his work’s been great,” Berry said.
“I think it was an error more so riding him so close the other day as well. In his win and other trials, he’s been ridden off speed and to hit the line well, where the other day I asked him to go forward and sit outside the leader and he probably didn’t appreciate it.
Tommy Berry after the Breeders Plate win.Credit: Getty Images
“He got on the chewy and went a bit keen, and when two-year-olds panic and do things like that, that’s when they can flick their palate.
“We’ll ride him a bit more with cover on the weekend and see if he can produce what he’s been showing us at home.”
Freedman hoped Incognito could stamp his ticket to the March 21, $5 million Slipper, a race the Randwick trainer won last year with Marhoona. Incognito, with $147,100 in prizemoney, is all but in the race but needs to show he can challenge.
“You don’t want to be wasting your time, heading to those races if you don’t think you can win them,” Freedman said.
He said the stable’s other Slipper hopes, Outspan and Hardanger, would likely race Saturday week in the Skyline and Sweet Embrace Stakes respectively. Saturday city winner Satin Summer has been spelled.
Ninja returns from a freshen-up and one strong trial to take on a hot field in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) and Berry was pleased with a kind draw in three.
“The 1400 is probably going to suit us more than Autumn Boy, he’ll get back a little bit, and Attica, they are horses who will probably be suited more at the mile and further,” Berry said.
“Our guy hasn’t drawn a barrier for quite a while, especially in his starts in Queensland. He’s had to do a heap of work and still been very good, so we’re excited to see him on the weekend after drawing well.
“He’s trialled up very nicely, and I just really think that trip to Queensland has been the making of him. He’s come back a more relaxed type.”
Asked if the MM Guineas loss still hurt, he said: “It’s one of those you have to get over it. It’s right on the doorstep of the autumn, so if you hang onto those it makes for a long campaign.
“We’ve had a bit of a frustrating start with Apocalyptic and Incognito going under as well, but that’s racing. Michael has been in it a long time and I’ve been in it a while as well, and we both know we’ve just got to move on and concentrate on what we can conquer.”
Ninja faces Group 1 winners Attica and Autumn Boy for the first time and Freedman was happy with how he shaped up for the clash.
“There’s lots of different form guides going into it, so it’s a pretty intriguing race,” Freedman said.
“He’s obviously shown good form over 1400 so it’s a nice option, but there’s good opposition there.”
In the Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m), Freedman has a strong hand with Godolphin pair Cinsault ($6.50) and Mareth ($10). Cinsault has won her past two, in benchmark 72 and 78 grade and Mareth was second last time out in the Gosford Guineas.
“It’s a big step up in grade, but she’s in good form and has drawn a soft alley, so we figure it’s worth a try,” he said of Cinsault.
“Mareth has done really well this preparation. I thought her trial at Canterbury was good the other day.”
He said Apocalyptic had come through her second in the Light Fingers Stakes well and would push on to the Surround Stakes.
Manaal, second last week in the Triscay Stakes, could go to the Guy Walter or Canterbury Stakes. He said Marhoona, sixth in the Lightning Stakes on Saturday, was back in Sydney.
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