Brutal task ahead in A$7.5m Eagle

There’s nothing popular jockey Tommy Berry can do about the fact his headline rides Brutal and Pierata will jump from outside stalls in their respective feature races at Rosehill today.

Most trainers will tell you it’s the jockey’s job to worry about barriers but Berry refuses to be psyched out as he attempts to claim the A$7.5 million Iron Jack Golden Eagle (1500m) on second favourite Brutal and the A$1m Redzel Stakes (1300m) on favourite Pierata.

“In any situation you’ve got to find positives and this is a perfect example,” Berry said.

Brutal is an apt word to describe the task facing the Doncaster winner and it’s that win that gives Berry confidence it’s a job he can get done.

The Team Hawkes entire arrives at the Golden Eagle with a first-up win in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) and a close third in the Group 3 Sydney Stakes (1200m) under his belt.

“It’s not a great gate, a horse like him you look for positives and he drew 18 to go and win the Doncaster,” Berry said.

“He’s a horse that enjoys a bit of room in his races.

“Last start we got bustled in behind them and wanted to get pulling, I’ve always thought he’s a better horse outside horses and we are going to get that opportunity.

“I’d rather draw where I have than draw one. It’s not the end of the world and I think he still deserves to be favourite.”

Brutal was deposed by Arcadia Queen as the fancied elect after the barrier draw and on Wednesday was sharing TAB’s $5 line with Epsom winner Kolding.

In keeping with that positive outlook, Berry says drawing directly outside one of the more likely leaders in the Golden Eagle is a plus for Brutal who he regards as the best horse in the race.

“Sunlight has drawn inside us and she is going to give us every chance to come across with her,” he said.

“She has plenty of speed and is probably the quickest horse in the race.” Barrier one did Berry no favours on Pierata in the TAB Everest but he was full of praise for the 5-yearold’s effort to run fifth behind Yes Yes Yes.

The A$1m Redzel Stakes (1300m) will each year be renamed after the winner of the previous year’s Everest and Pierata and Everest third placegetter Trekking are coming through that race.

“I don’t think you can take anything away from him in the Everest,” Berry said.

“He only got out late and he ran very well, he wasn’t suited by the inside draw and we were just hoping we’d get luck from there and we didn’t.”