Berry honours late brother
O’ Ole hands Sydney jockey, trainer Baker emotional Magic Millions 2YO Classic win
GOLD COAST - Little short of a juggernaut is how Bjorn Baker’s summer could be described and not even a delayed flight from Sydney to Gold Coast could hold him back from training a feature race winner on Jan 17.
A daughter of Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1,600m) and Group 1 Golden Rose (1,400m) winner Ole Kirk, O’ Ole strode to victory in the A$3 million (S$2.55 million) Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1,200m) in a plan hatched with this race the sole aim of the campaign that also delivered a win in the Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic on Dec 11.
For jockey Tommy Berry, the win provided a fond reminder of his late twin brother Nathan’s success aboard Unencumbered in this race 11 years earlier.
That win was one of the biggest in Nathan Berry’s career before he tragically died after being struck down with Norse syndrome, a rare condition related to epilepsy, in Singapore in 2014, aged just 23.
“She (O’ Ole) exited the same barrier (3) Unencumbered did for Nathan as well,” said Berry.
“Since that day (his passing), they named the trophy after Nathan and it has been the Nathan Berry trophy every year.
“I’ve been sick of handing it out to others and I wanted to win it again. I ride a bit for Bjorn, who Nathan was pretty much the stable rider for when he passed away.
“The stars aligned today. It is an amazing sport and I am blessed to be a part of it.”
Baker shared the depth of feeling with the leading Sydney jockey.
“From day dot, she’s shown amazing ability,” said Baker, who also trained Unencumbered.
“She’s very much like Unencumbered and it was very emotional as she went past the post.
“I was thinking of Nathan Berry, gate three and Tommy rode. Everything lined up.
“Nathan, we miss him a lot.”
O’ Ole ($59) was purchased for A$325,000 at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale with Baker’s team holding few concerns in paying the price for a filly that caught their eyes.
“She was probably the filly that the whole team zeroed in on at the sales last year,” said Jim Clarke who is a part of Baker’s team.
“I probably didn’t expect to get there and fall in love with an Ole Kirk out of a Sepoy mare and pay that sort of money, but she had a phenomenal physique and every time we saw her parade perfectly.
“Fortunately, she has done the same in her racing career so far.”
Settled in a one-out one-back spot, O’ Ole asserted her superiority after she collared race-leader Vein Girl (Cejay Graham) at the 200m.
O’ Ole beat home Peter Snowden’s Memo (Kerrin McEvoy) by 1½ lengths with Team Hawkes’ Gallo Nero (Tyler Schiller) a further half-length away in third for a Sydney trifecta.
“Grateful to get here eventually and we watched the race in the cab on the way here,” said Baker whose recent big wins include Robusto’s Group 2 The Ingham (1,600m) at Randwick on Dec 14 and Overpass’ Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1,200m) in Perth on Nov 30.
“The cab driver thought we were mad.” SKY RACING WORLD
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