Berry’s big morning at Randwick trials with Group 1 fillies

It’s not often you get to ride two Group 1 fillies in 15 minutes but that was Tommy Berry’s pleasure at the Randwick barrier trial on Tuesday.

Golden Slipper winner Marhoona had the better of unbeaten Autumn Glow and Pericles for Berry in the second heat before Flight Stakes winner Apocalyptic finished third in a trial won by Beiwacht, the Golden Rose winner.

It makes trials like Tuesday must-watch affairs and Berry left feeling another Group 1 could be in the wings for the two fillies.

“They are both going really well, but I think [trainer] Michael [Freedman] is going to keep them apart,” Berry said.

“Apocalyptic is going to the Light Fingers [Stakes] first-up, and I think Marhoona might head to Melbourne for the Lightning on the same day."

“It’s a pity I can’t ride both of them, but I’ll be staying with Apocalyptic as she goes to the Surround Stakes.”

Marhoona is currently not in the Lightning Stakes markets.

Apocalyptic, part owned by Myracehorse, is a $4 second pick for the Surround behind Everest runner-up Tempted at $2.80, who was also on show at Tuesday’s trial, stretching her legs into fourth behind Just Feelin’ Lucky in the opening heat.

The Ciaron Maher stable has said Tempted will go into Saturday week’s Eskimo Prince Stakes three weeks before the Surround.

“I’ll watch that race with interest. They are two very good fillies but I feel at 1400m my filly [Apolcalyptic] has an edge on Tempted,” Berry said. “I think that is her best distance."

“She only just gets the mile as we saw in the spring [when she won the Flight before being just beaten by Ole Dancer in the Thousand Guineas], but at 1400m she is much better.”

Berry had Emirates Park’s green silks on again later in the morning when he won a trial on two-year-old Naadra.

Emirates Park have won three Golden Slipper with fillies, the latest with Marhoona last year.

“She is a lovely, straightforward filly,” Berry said. “She is very professional and she is just going to get better.”