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Young jockey Tommy Berry will head to the Magic Millions meeting full of confidence after taking out the $100,000 Listed Canterbury Classic aboard Unanimously on Friday night.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Berry is heading to the Gold Coast on Saturday to partner the Gai Waterhouse-trained favourite Driefontein in the $2 million Magic Millions Classic.
The 20-year-old got his big weekend off to the perfect start when the Canberra-based Unanimously stalked the speed in the 1100m event at Canterbury before powering away to defeat Eight Billsby three-quarters of a length.
The eight-year-old multiple Group One winner Sniper's Bullet delighted his connections with a slashing return to finish third, two lengths away.
Berry parked the Matthew Dale-trained Unanimously behind leaders Mrs Onassis and Phenomenal Lass before peeling out on the home turn to make his challenge.
"I thought he would be very hard to beat but it's always great when it comes off," said Berry, who returned to Sydney on Friday after a 10-day holiday in Perth.
"You look at the horses he has been finishing behind and they are quite good horses.
"He had the perfect drop on them and sprinted really well."
Unanimously has shown plenty of promise as a sprinter and his first success at stakes level took his record to six wins from 19 starts.
Eight Bills got home well for second while Sniper's Bullet's trainer Tracey Bartley and jockey Christian Reith were thrilled with way he attacked the line late to run into the placings.
"That's what we wanted to see. He needed to find the line tonight," Bartley said.
The favourite News Alert finished fourth.