'The softer it is the better he is' - Jack Berry keen on more rain for Stewards' Cup hope Aleezdancer

Jack Berry is relishing every drop of rain that falls as he looks forward to avenging a Stewards' Cup near-miss 25 years ago

He trained numerous fast horses in three decades with a licence and won many big sprints, but the closest he came in the big 6f handicap at Goodwood was when Ansellman finished second in 1998, headed only in the last 75 yards.

Berry, who retired from training in 2000 and has since devoted his time to tireless fund-raising for the Injured Jockeys Fund, is part-owner of Aleezdancer, a mudlark whose odds for Saturday's Stewards' Cup (3.35) were cut to 20-1 from 25-1 by sponsors Coral as the heavens opened on Wednesday and turned the ground very soft.

"It can't rain hard enough for him," he said. "I hope there's an inspection on Saturday morning because the softer it is, the better he is.

"He loves soft or heavy ground, he's a different animal on it. He's run five times on it and he's won all five – and those are the only times he's won.

"I'd fancied him for the Ayr Gold Cup because I thought he'd get his ground in September, but it's come good for him now."

Jack Berry: "He loves soft or heavy ground"Credit: David Carr

Aleezdancer is trained by Kevin Ryan, a five-time Ayr Gold Cup winner who is also seeking his first Stewards' Cup success.

Neil Callan's mount won well at Doncaster in April and although he has not matched that form since, Berry said: "He missed the break when he ran at York and it wasn't him at all. We tried to sharpen him up in blinkers last time after he'd run on the all-weather, but I don't think they worked. 

"He's not a bad animal. The way he won at Doncaster you'd say he could be good enough to win a Stewards' Cup." 

Berry, who won an Ayr Gold Cup and two Wokingham Handicaps as a trainer, came close to landing the Stewards' Cup a quarter of a century ago.

"We were second in it with Ansellman," he recalled. "He was beaten by Superior Premium of Richard Fahey's. I'd fancied that to run well and I had a combination forecast and I won fortunes, so it wasn't all bad."

Coral Stewards' Cup (Saturday, 3.35)

Coral: 5-1 Orazio, 12-1 Strike Red, Tiber Flow, Albasheer 14-1 Apollo One, King's Lynn, Tajalla, Tanmawwy 16-1 Mitbaahy, Batal Dubai, Mums Tipple, Juan Les Pins, Aberama Gold, Rumstar, Badri 20-1 bar

Now read these . . .

'It would be good to get my name on it again' - Jack Berry is eyeing another Ayr Gold Cup 

'He's very special' - imperious Paddington holds off rivals to make it six in a row in Sussex Stakes 

Hughie Morrison revels in Goodwood Cup triumph after 16-1 Quickthorn runs rivals ragged 

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