Berry keen to get back in premiership race after rollercoaster ride

3 months ago 11

By Craig Kerry

July 31, 2025 — 12.17pm

After a rollercoaster season of rich wins and injury setbacks, Tommy Berry is driven to get back near the top of the Sydney jockeys premiership with a consistent run in 2025-26.

And Berry, coming off a double last weekend at Randwick, hopes a string of wet-track chances will give him a winning start to the new campaign in town on Saturday at Rosehill.

Tommy Berry rides Lugh to victory at Randwick last Saturday.

The 34-year-old had 47 NSW metropolitan winners in 2024-25 to finish eighth in the Sydney premiership won by James McDonald (83) for a seventh consecutive time and ninth victory overall.

Berry had 59 wins the season before, when he made a late start because of an eight-month disqualification that halved his 2022-23 campaign. He was fourth in 2021-22 with 63 and finished in the top three the previous three seasons with 111, 76 and 77 wins.

There were genuine excuses for the drop in wins last season. A fall in January at Randwick, which left Berry with a neck fracture and shoulder injury, sidelined him for five weeks. He had other stints out with a blocked nerve in his neck, a busted cheek from a fall at home and suspensions late in the season.

Berry, though, is using the downturn as motivation for this season.

Gringotts (left) wins a thrilling George Ryder Stakes in March, one of a number of big wins for Tommy Berry in an up and down season.

“It’s the first time in a while I haven’t been in the top three in NSW, which isn’t good enough by my standards, but to run top two or three again next season is what I’ll be aiming for,” he said.

Despite the setbacks, Berry still ranked among the top-earning jockeys in 2024-25 after scoring a first group 1 in two and a half years when the Ciaron Maher-trained Gringotts won the George Ryder Stakes. Berry also claimed the group 1 Queensland Oaks on the Kris Lees-prepared You Wahng and the $2 million Magic Millions Classic on Bjorn Baker’s O’Ole, among 18 stakes race wins.

Berry’s rides earned $18.9 million nationwide, including $14.5 million in NSW.

“It’s probably been the least amount of wins I’ve had in a season for a long time, but I guess the injuries haven’t helped with that,” he said.

“But prizemoney wise I’m still second or third on the table, so I’ve obviously won the right races, which is good. But the amount of winners, it’s probably 30 or 40 winners down on what I’m used to.

“It has been a bit of a rollercoaster season, but I’m excited about the season ahead. I’ve got some nice rides going forward, I had a nice break over the winter, so everything is going along good.

“There’s Gringotts, and I’ve got some nice three-year-olds as well. Apocalyptic and Pallaton are going to trial next week. Raging Force has been a bit of a revelation over the winter, and riding for stables like [Chris] Waller, [Peter] Snowden, [Michael] Freedman, [John] O’Shea and Maher, you are bound to pick up some more nice ones.

“I ride for the right stables … and James [McDonald] can’t ride all the good ones.”

He is also keen to stick with O’Ole and the Kelly Schweida-trained Sunrays in the spring.

Tommy Berry after winning on Chris Waller-trained Cigar Flick last Saturday at Randwick.

“Bjorn Baker mentioned O’Ole to me the other day, and said she’s come back a lot stronger,” he said.

“She’s an exciting filly. She had a lot of tough racing, but she’s had a good break as well, whereas a lot of the other two-year-olds had a longer prep, so I’m looking forward to seeing her back.”

On Saturday, Berry rides Barbary (race one), Concordia Wind (five), Captain Maverick (seven), Geriatrix (nine) and Ravenclaw (10) for Waller, who had 142 winners to claim the Sydney trainers premiership for a 15th consecutive time.

Rosehill was rated a heavy 8 on Thursday with rain forecast to continue through to the weekend, and Berry was looking to wet-track performers such as Barbray ($7.50 Sportsbet) and Concordia Wind ($15) to lead the way.

Barbray won at Goulburn and was less than half a length away in fourth at Canterbury in his only starts on heavy going. Concordia Wind won her debut at Gosford with Berry aboard in her only run on heavy ground.

“I think most of my rides on Saturday, even the ones who won’t be hard in the market, enjoy wet ground,” he said.

“Barbray won on a heavy at Goulburn. I know it was only Goulburn, but it bolted in that day, and he’s improved since that.

“Concordia Wind likes a bit of sting out of the ground and she’s trialled up well, so she should be a good chance.”

Geriatrix ($18) and the Annabel and Rob Archibald-trained Fiddlers Green ($8) have won two from seven on soft going, while Captain Maverick ($10) was a half-length from Nana’s Wish two starts back on a heavy surface.