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Sydney’s feature race on Melbourne Cup Day at Randwick, The Big Dance 2024, has been won by the Ciaron Maher-trained Tamworth Cup winner Gringotts who was too strong holding on to beat stablemate Vivy Air by a length.

The $3 million Big Dance (1600m) held Listed status for the first time this year with betting on the lucrative Black-Type led for a long time by Gringotts until he was displaced at the top of the markets on race day by Tavi Time.

Maher’s consistent Per Incanto gelding however rewarded his early backers with five-year-old Gringotts impressive with Tommy Berry aboard this year’s The Big Dance winner.

“That’s a huge, huge effort, huge team effort,” stable rep Johan Gerard-Dubord told Sky Thoroughbred Central.

“Obviously Gringotts has been the target since Tamworth. We had him right today. Obviously, the barrier was always going to be a concern, but we were very confident in where he was going.

“Tommy was happy to do a bit of work early.

“He travelled well and then kicked and it was just too good for them. Great to get a win for those owners.

“Ozzie, a great supporter, some very good people in the horse.”

From wide out in gate 19 of 20, the Kiwi-bred gelding was quick out to cross and get into a forward position settling on speed second behind the front running Zouatica who eventually faded to finish at the tail end of the field.

Berry took Gringotts to the lead 300m out from the line and the horse stuck on with the job well, fighting all the way to hold on and salute for the $1.56 million first prize.

“Well, done to Ciaron. I know it’s not the Melbourne Cup mate, but you’ve still got that to come,” winning hoop Berry said post-victory.

Gringotts presented third-up and fit off too good Sydney lead-up wins this spring having run back-to-back seconds by narrow margins in the Group 3 Bill Ritchie and $1.5 million Alan Brown Stakes over 1400m.

He came to Randwick on Tuesday ready to win relishing the step back up to his pet distance of a mile and was brilliant for connections.

Maher’s Big Dance Wild Card runner-up, four-year-old Hellbent mare Vivy Air, was brave in defeat finishing second.

“The second horse, Vivy Air, she is improving at every start. Obviously, it’s the first prep for us,” Gerard-Dubord said.

“We’ve taken our time, but she looks better all the time. She’s happier. She’s a mare that’s living at Bong Bong. She’s loving it there. And yeah, it’s a great effort from the team.

“The logistics obviously take a bit of work, but we just try to place them where they’re best suited. Some horses, obviously love the quiet environment at Bong Bong.

“Some horses need a bit more work; they enjoy the beach. And some horses are happy to be away from. But yeah, that’s obviously those facilities, whether it’s New South Wales or Victoria, obviously huge assets and got a great team of people to go with it.”

In third completing this year’s The Big Dance trifecta was Suparazi who came off a sixth in The Valley’s Group 2 Crystal Mile on Cox Plate Day to narrowly deny the heavily backed Tavi Time (4th) a spot in the placings today.

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