It has long been anticipated that Tommy Berry would be a star of the impending Spring Racing carnival, but Victorian racing fans might see more of the superstar Sydney hoop than first thought.

Berry, 23, plans to base himself in Melbourne for the majority of the country’s premier racing carnival.

He revealed at Tuesday’s launch of nominations for the Caulfield Cup and Sportingbet Cox Plate that he was open to the idea of basing himself in Melbourne before the Sydney carnival concluded in early October with a view to giving himself the best chance of success.

“I’ll spend a couple of months here,” Berry said.

“If you’re really serious about it you’ve got to set yourself up here like a lot of the big jockeys do, like Hugh Bowman and Nash (Rawiller), and I’ll do the same this year.

“It might be that I just have to go back to Sydney (when required), because it’s a lot easier to go back to Sydney and ride.

“Obviously I’m based there, I know all the tracks very well and I know all the horses very well, so coming to Melbourne over the spring I think is a little bit more important.”

It is understandable that Berry is eager to get to Melbourne, boasting a book of possible spring stars that is the envy of his rivals.

He is the regular rider for the Gai Waterhouse-trained The Offer, who is favourite for the first $3 million Caulfield Cup (2400m), which received 221 nominations – up on 173 from last year.

Sportingbet Cox Plate entries were also up on last year – 225 to 158 – and Berry has the call on two of the leading contenders for that $3 million event; Waterhouse’s Carlton House and Hong Kong raider Dan Excel, who is trained by John Moore.

He also rides $1 million BECK Caulfield Guineas favourite Almalad, another from the Waterhouse camp, who was one of 281 entries for the 1600-metre event that last year brought 235 entries.

Nominations were also taken for the $500,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas, with 205 fillies being paid up for (up on 195 last year), and while Berry not connected with any of the leading fancies for that race he is looking forward to trying to uncover one to complement his existing mounts.

“Spring is certainly in the air,” he said. “It’s not far away now.

“The spring is something that’s eluded me at the moment – I’ve ridden Group 1s all around the world – but Melbourne’s one place where I really want to get that last one up and I believe I can do it this spring.”