Tulloch Lodge youngster Anode might be dominating Lonhro Plate markets, but rival jockey Tommy Berry is looking forward to testing the race day credentials of debutant Embassy.
Anode, who was a runaway winner of his only start in December, has been crunched from $2.80 into $1.95 favouritism for Saturday’s 1000-metre sprint as Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott bid to continue their purple patch of two-year-old winners.
Embassy is an $11 chance and arrives at Randwick following two recent barrier trial wins, the latest when scoring by 3-1/2 lengths at Hawkesbury.
Berry has been aboard both times and says while the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained colt is still grappling with his craft, he has the raw talent to be a force when he puts it all together.
“He’s a work in progress, but he’s got a lot of natural ability,” Berry said.
“His last trial at Hawkesbury, I had to give him a bit of a wake up, but I was happy with the response I was given.
“He’s still doing a couple of little things wrong in his trials, he’s got to execute better, but he could get there on Saturday and it wouldn’t surprise me for him to put it all together and get the job done.”
By I Am Invincible out of Denman mare Dendee, a nine-time winner in Western Australia up to a mile, Embassy sold for $625,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Berry expects Embassy to also appreciate further than the 1000 metres of Saturday’s race but sees it as a solid starting point for the imposing juvenile.
“I think he’ll appreciate getting to 1200, but he’s a horse that can get a bit keen as he has in his trials, so 1000 metres is perfect for the weekend,” Berry said.
Embassy will be one of three Lonhro Plate runners for Team Snowden, along with Kingdom Underseige, an $800,000 Magic Millions buy who showed speed in his latest trial and wasn’t pushed out to finish second to Linebacker.
The latter was favourite for his debut at Warwick Farm on Wednesday but was scratched at the barrier, while trial third placegetter Getafix won on the Kensington track last week.
Filly La Roja rounds out their blue-blooded squad, the $900,000 purchase winning her latest hitout at Gosford.
All three are by leading stallion I Am Invincible, who is also the sire of Anode.
