A return to winning form by Single at Rosehill on Saturday put the smile back on trainer Craig Carmody’s face and gave jockey Nathan Berry a welcome 21st birthday present.
Carmody was baffled by the four-year-old’s last-start fourth as the dominant favourite in a 1500m race on New Year’s Eve when he laboured to the line.
It was a different story in Saturday’s Vinery Stud Handicap (1800m) with Single ($4.40 fav) working into the race nicely before charging clear to beat Rolling Pin ($4.60) by 1-1/2 lengths with Tropicana Girl ($12) another 3-1/2 lengths away third.
For Berry, Single’s victory helped ease the pain of being dropped as the rider of Aeronautical and a suspension incurred on Friday.
Three-year-old Aeronautical did not perform as well as expected earlier in the day but Single did everything right.
“It is great to get a win to celebrate my birthday,” Berry said.
“He is a good horse and he got a good run today.
“I had four lengths to make up in 400 metres mid-race and I used that and he eased into it comfortably.
“I’ve got no doubt he can get up over more ground and I’ve got a lot of time for him.”
Carmody was relieved to see Single back to his best.
“I think he struggled with the stop-start tactics last time,” he said.
“The tempo wasn’t to his liking and he ended up having to make two runs in the race.
“That didn’t happen today and he went as we hoped.
“He still has maturing to do and I think time is going to be his friend.”
Berry, who has been overshadowed in recent months by his brother Tommy who won last week’s Magic Millions on Driefontein, said the pair was planning a low-key birthday dinner with family and friends.
He is due to start his suspension on Sunday and hopes it will be the last for some time.
“I have to stop making silly mistakes and get my eight suspensions a year out of the way,” he said.
“It’s frustrating getting these week and a half suspensions all the time.”
AAP TURF