Tommy Berry says the spacious Randwick circuit is a key ingredient for highly-touted youngster Metallicity.
If Metallicity was making his debut anywhere other than Randwick, jockey Tommy Berry might have some butterflies in the stomach.
As it is, Berry believes the $1.90 favourite is under the odds for Saturday’s Coolmore Pierro Plate (1100m), despite the fact he has a healthy opinion of the colt.
Metallicity has attracted attention with his three barrier trial wins, stalking the speed and powering to the line each time, his performances prompting bookmakers to mark him at $13 for the Golden Slipper despite the fact he is yet to race.
Berry has ridden the Zoustar colt in trackwork and says the expanses of Randwick and barrier eight are crucial factors on Saturday as the big-framed colt needs galloping room and space to wind up.
“I think $1.90 is very short but in saying that, he is probably priced on hype, obviously not on what he’s done,” Berry said.
“I’m glad he is having his first start at Randwick being a nice big track, one corner.
“Letting him find his feet and getting into a nice rhythm is the key to him and that helps him show that turn of foot he has been showing in his trials. But it’s not an instant turn of foot, he sort of builds up to it and then explodes.
“That’s why Randwick is going to suit him a bit more and drawing out should be good for him, it will allow him to get a bit of room.”
Metallicity is part of a strong juvenile team for Peter and Paul Snowden, who also have Magic Millions runner-up Russian Conquest and last Saturday’s Randwick winner Cythera sitting among the top 10 in Golden Slipper markets.
His rivals on Saturday include Godolphin youngster Sandpaper, an impressive Canterbury winner on debut, and the Chris Waller-trained Northern Beaches who finished runner-up to Sweet Ride at his only start last month.
