Stout Hearted will reunite with regular rider Nathan Berry in tomorrow's Group 2 Hill Stakes to further enhance his Metropolitan credentials.
Berry missed the four-year-old's impressive Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) triumph at Rosehill last weekend. Were it not for a careless riding suspension he could well have secured his first Group win.
But the 21-year-old is back in the Sydney saddle on Saturday determined to make up for lost time, and he instantly gets his chance to stake his spring claims aboard the in-form Stout Hearted.
“I think it's a very nice race for him, he's definitely not out of his depth,” Berry said.
“He's been beating most of those horses anyway.
“I think the quick back-up will suit him because he is a bit of a hard-going horse so it'll probably just help his manners throughout his racing.
“It's not a concern but he hasn't raced in weight-for-age yet so carrying 59 [kilograms] over 2000m, that's going to be the only test for him.
“Other than that I think he's definitely one of the class runners in the race.”
Stout Hearted was superb at Rosehill six days ago under Glyn Schofield who let the horse settle well back on the fence before engineering a masterful win via a perfect rails run.
It was the Chris Waller-trained stayer's fourth win this preparation. His other three have come underneath Berry.
He's one of three rides for Berry at Randwick on Saturday, who is also jumping aboard resuming Gai Waterhouse stayer Herculian Prince in the Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m), and prospective miler Malavio in The Shorts (1200m).
“I've built up a nice connection with this horse [Herculian Prince] through trackwork and trials and Gai seems to think the horse suits me so I'm very happy to be riding for her,” Berry said.
“We box seated him in his first trial and he showed a clean pair of heels in the last furlong. With a good barrier we'll probably park in behind John O'Shea's horse [Steps In Time], I think Gai's other horse [Wild And Proud] will get in behind the leader so we'll probably be one out one back.
“I think 1400 first-up is perfect for him and the weight won't worry this horse he's a lovely big strong animal.”
