Improving galloper Berry Foxie ($3.40) notched a second win in as many starts when she comfortably handled her rivals at Mount Gambier on Wednesday. Stepping up from maiden grade to a class one handicap, the four-year-old mare jumped well from the 1800-metre start and settled outside the leader and race-favourite Ryan James ($2.90), jockey Mitch Aitken allowing his mare to relax into a lovely rhythm throughout. The young hoop moved up to pressure the local fancy at the 400-metre mark, quickly shaking him off and emerging out of the dogleg turn over a length clear. Berry Foxie opened up a race-winning lead soon after, Aitken easing down in the final stages to win by over a length in an easy watch for connections and backers. The winning rider noted there’s still improvement to come from this inexperienced galloper. “Once she got there (to the lead), she was having a good look around, a good stargaze. But she was strong to the line, and I couldn’t be happier with her”.
As for future plans: “There’s no doubt she’s going to get 2000-metres”.
Henry was upbeat about his mare post-race. “She was terrific today. Very pleased to get another win with her..
“It was the manner in which she did it. She coped with the travel really well, arrived oncourse and didn’t turn a hair. She went out there and was well-behaved”, he said.
Henry echoed Mitch’s thoughts that she got lost when left alone out in front so far from home, but was good enough to get the job done. “There was a lot of merit to the win. It was a weak field but she did it really well. I think there was much more in hand had she had a runner to go with”.
Berry Foxie can compete in benchmark-58 grade next start with some weight relief from an apprentice jockey, and is every chance to register a hattrick of wins before she heads to the paddock for a well-earnt spell.
The daughter of Rommel has had six career starts for two wins and a minor placing, passing $30,000 in prizemoney following her midweek success.