A grilling from trainer Gai Waterhouse was the catalyst to Tommy Berry producing a winning performance aboard the resuming Kontiki Park on Saturday.
Berry said he had the words of Waterhouse from earlier in the day in his head as he refrained from taking an inside run aboard Kontiki Park in the Warwick Farm 100 Club Handicap (1400m) before peeling him to the centre of the track to make a winning run.
“Gai had words with me after my ride on Fat Al earlier in the day saying, ‘you got to seven off the fence and then let him wander back in to four off the fence’,” Berry said.
Fat Al finished second to the John O’Shea-trained Hendricus in the lucrative Inglis Bonus Mile (1600m).
“She told me not to do that again and make sure you get out wide,” Berry said.
“I could have gone to the inside at the top of the straight but I had those words in my head so I got to the outside and I was surprised how well he sprinted.
“He might be getting better with age and hopefully he takes some confidence from that.”
Kontiki Park ($13) is on a path to the Group Two Villiers (1600m) at Warwick Farm next month and his three-quarter length victory over Kimberly Kid ($12) shows the gelding has returned in good order.
The resuming Fibrillation ($18) came in another long head third while favourite Scarf finished along the inside section in seventh.
“He’ll go to the Villiers, that’s what we’ve brought him in for,” Waterhouse said.
“He’s got to step up to that class but he’s always been a very handy horse and very honest. It’s just nice to see him win first-up today.”
Waterhouse is also targeting King Lionheart at the Villiers, the feature Sydney race during summer.
Waterhouse employee and former jockey Mark Newnham rides Kontiki Park in all his work and was among the cheer squad as the six-year-old returned to scale.
He had seen the signs Kontiki Park was in for a good summer campaign.
“His trials going into this have been the best in his life,” Newnham said.
Kontiki Park’s fifth career win brought up a winning double for Waterhouse after debutante No Looking Back staked her claim for January’s Magic Millions Classic with an impressive victory over stablemate Blazing Snitzel in the WF 100 Club Returns 2012 Handicap (1000m).
No Looking Back is a daughter of Redoute’s Choice out of 2006 Magic Millions winner Mirror Mirror.
AAP TURF
