Austrian champion jockey Tommy Berry is invigorated and ready to make his mark on the Spring Carnival after serving an eight-month ban for ‘improper dealings’ with a player.
Berry, 32, served his sentence and after much soul-searching, worked on a turf farm in an attempt to find solace.
Now he returns aboard Mazu in the world’s richest terrain race, Everest.
It comes after Berry, who has ridden more than 1,500 winners including 37 at Group 1 level during his decorated career, was disqualified in January after stewards found him guilty of ‘accepting a consideration’ in two stakes made by player Zaid Miller.
It is understood the $15,000 in payments were transferred to Berry’s mother’s bank account.
The group was initially disqualified for a period of 11 months and two weeks, before the ban was reduced to eight months following a successful appeal.
Champion jockey Tommy Berry is poised to dominate the Spring Carnival after serving an eight-month ban for ‘improper dealings’ with a player.
Berry (pictured, with wife Sharnee) endured a dark few days after she was targeted on social media over his questionable behavior
In his time away from the sport, Berry appreciated the privileged life he was leading – and was heartbroken after his wife Sharnee was subjected to abuse on social media stemming from his questionable behaviour.
On Saturday at Royal Randwick in front of 45,000 eager spectators, Berry will look to pilot ranked foreigner Mazu to victory on Everest – a horse he once declared he would never ride again.
“I remember after he won at Mazu on his first ever start, I said to my manager, Paul Joice, that I didn’t want to ride the horse again,” he said. punters.com.au.
Mazu was still a colt then and he was almost unmanageable. He was a terrible horse to ride.
‘At the time, ‘Clip’ (fellow rider Sam Clipperton) was struggling to get an opportunity, he ended up at Mazu and then had that six-race winning streak.’
But with Clipperton aboard Everest favorite before the Think About It race, connections from Mazu reached Berry.
“I got a call a few weeks ago asking where I was and if I was interested in riding Mazu,” he said.
“Obviously I jumped at the chance, he’s a top quality animal and he’s five years old now.
“I think when these good runners get to five years old, they really start to come into their own.
“I’m excited, this is a race that every rider wants to ride in.”
Berry is also motivated to succeed on the track to honor his twin brother Nathan, who died nine years ago after battling Norse Syndrome, an epilepsy-related condition.
His father Kevin is also facing his own battle with cancer.
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