Image © Healy Racing
Johnny Berry’s first venture into preparing a former Flat runner for point-to-points brought a swift return at Tattersalls on Sunday, when Now U Have It landed the four-year-old mares’ maiden under his son Josh.
The Phoenix Of Spain mare, who had three unsuccessful starts for Ray Cody, made amends for a fall at Umma House seven days earlier by defeating Faithfulocean by two and a half lengths in the colours of Berry’s wife Shirley.
Her acquisition was something of an unexpected addition to the team, having caught Berry’s eye during a visit to her breeder Michael Phelan to buy another horse.
“I went down to buy a three-year-old and he said he had two Flat fillies up in the field if I wanted to have a look,” Berry explained.
“This one, I liked her when I saw her. She’s probably a good 16 hands.”
Although her previous racing experience came over much shorter distances, Berry was satisfied from her work at home that stamina would not be an issue.
Looking back at her debut at Gowran Park as a two-year-old, when she finished eighth under Seamie Heffernan, also offered encouragement that a change of discipline could suit.
Point-to-pointing was the intention from the outset, and she quickly showed an aptitude for jumping.
“You start from scratch, but the beauty of it is that you don’t have to teach them to gallop because they already know that. You can concentrate on the jumping.
“I bring them into the small ring over a pole first, then over barrels and progress to the little schooling fences. You know fairly quickly whether they’ll take to it, and she took to it straight away.”
Her first outing over fences ended at the eighth obstacle at Umma House, but Berry saw enough to retain confidence. Stablemate Highland Brook’s fourth in the geldings’ maiden on the same card strengthened that view, as the mare had been working better at home.
“I was right at the fence where she fell. She got in a bit tight, overjumped and knuckled over on landing. She’s actually a very good jumper.
“Josh said the faster she was going towards the end of the race on Sunday, the better she was jumping.”
Prominent throughout at Tattersalls, Now U Have It regained the lead before the final fence and kept on strongly to open her account on her second start between the flags.
“I said to Josh to let her bowl along and not to be worried about staying. We didn’t think that would be a problem with her.”
While his brother Darragh has also enjoyed success with horses coming from the Flat, this was a new approach for Johnny. It is one he would consider repeating with the right individual.
“You’d probably want those little flecks of National Hunt somewhere along the line. You wouldn’t want to be buying one by a sprinter.”
Darragh’s successes include Tosca Time, who had three juvenile Flat starts for Sylvester Kirk before winning a four-year-old mares’ maiden at Ballyragget by 20 lengths. Northern Beau won her first two point-to-points after six unsuccessful Flat starts before going on to win three times at Cheltenham.
There are currently 10 horses in training at Murberry Stables in Tomhaggard, County Wexford, with Johnny and Josh sharing the riding and daily work.
They have their own gallop and also make use of facilities near Kilmore Quay, around 10 minutes away, which provide further galloping and schooling options.
Berry’s small team has produced some notable graduates over the years, including Tellherthename, while Ain’t That A Shame and subsequent Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle winner Fiddlerontheroof also spent time with the family.
“Tellherthename was probably one of the best we had,” he reflected. “We had Ain’t That A Shame too, and Fiddlerontheroof.”
Sunday’s success continued a memorable year for the father-and-son partnership following Five Star Getaway’s victory in the Joseph O’Reilly Memorial Hunter Chase at Fairyhouse in April.
The veteran has since returned to Britain to continue point-to-pointing, while his contribution to Josh’s career also extends to the winner subsequently awarded to him at Loughrea in May 2025.
That amended result brought an unusual end to the young rider’s claiming allowance.
“He lost his claim without riding a winner,” Johnny reflected.
Highland Brook is intended to return to action on Sunday, while Now U Have It has come out of her Tattersalls success well and is likely to be offered for sale.
