The punters had it right as the strong firmer Gringotts made it a one act affair in The Gong and will now chase a yet to be achieved treble as the Maher stable turns their focus to The Ingham at Randwick next month.
“He was just better than them,” Maher’s representative Johann Gerard-Dubord said after Gringotts took out the $1 million The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange after winning $2 million The Big Dance on November 5.
“The way he is going now and knowing there is more to come, he’s a horse that doesn’t mind a bit of give in the track and he won on a fast track today.”
The Big Dance was supposed to be Gringotts’ grand final but having only had three runs for the preparation, send showing the stable that he was not done yet, the decision was made to press on to Kembla Grange.
“His first-up run was a very soft run but he was unlucky,” Gerard-Dubord said of the second placing in the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Stakes (1400m) on September 21.
“He came through The Big Dance very well and a race like this is hard to bypass.
“While he’s going well it is hard to stop.”
Stop, they won’t, as the five-year-old will step out again in the Group 2 The Ingham (1600m) at Randwick on December 13.
For jockey Tommy Berry, a connection with the area topped off the winning feeling.
“I’m getting a bit emotional because I cut my teeth in this area,” Berry said.
“I’ve got a lot of friends and family from down this way.
“I think he’s better (Gringotts) then what I thought he was as he toyed with them carrying 60-kilos.
“He spotted the horse out wider (Suparazi) when I did and he put the after burners on.
Gringotts was backed from $5 into $2.60 betting site favourite on race day and won by slight less than a length over Suparazi ($26) with a rejuvenated Steparty ($7.50) in third.
“I know we’ve had some tricky gates but I don’t know if I can take too much credit, he’s a very easy horse to ride, Berry added.
Territory Express ($7) lost all chance of winning when slowly away at the start and finished in 11th placing – seven lengths from the winner.
