Champion jockey Tommy Berry will always ride with a heavy heart after his twin brother's death, but a little bundle of joy is helping ease the family's pain.
Still coming to terms with Nathan's death from Norse syndrome last April, Berry and partner Sharnee Nisbet, sister of Canberra jockey Kayla, named their son Kaiden Nathan when he was born last month.
Berry will be one of the star attractions at Black Opal Stakes Day at Thoroughbred Park on Sunday, where his strong book of rides is headlined by Gai Waterhouse's Queenstown in the Canberra Cup.
"He's definitely changed our life in a great way, he's a beautiful healthy boy and has got a good mum looking after him, we couldn't be happier," Berry said of Kaiden.
"It [making Nathan his middle name] was something we didn't really have to think about, nothing else could possibly be his middle name. It's a nice touch, it's something that's important to us."
Kayla Nisbet returned to metropolitan racing after a long sabbatical last Wednesday at Warwick Farm, guiding topweight Wings to eighth in a Benchmark 70 fillies and mares race.
She wore Nathan's goggles, given to her by Tommy, in her group 1 debut in the Goodwood at Morphettville last May.
"Nathan's never going to be forgotten by any of us, but it's a nice way to put their focus on something different," Nisbet said last month. "It was a nice start to the year for them."
Berry has been booked on Surf Seeker in the $275,000 group 3 Black Opal Stakes, who needs plenty of luck after drawing the outside barrier.
He rates John O'Shea favourite Antelucan and his second runner Chamarel as the ones to beat, but also expects Canberra hope Single Gaze to contend.
"Chamarel or the other O'Shea horse [Antelucan] with James McDonald aboard will be tough, they're the benchmark and John O'Shea has been flying," he said.
"Single Gaze is a nice horse suited on her home track, but it's drawn quite wide [barrier 11] and needs a lot to go its way.
"It's probably the strongest Black Opal I've seen. It's always been the last resort for two-year-olds to get in the [Golden] Slipper, but now it's only two weeks out this year so it's a much stronger race.
"Three of the top trainers in Australia in Gai Waterhouse, O'Shea and John Hawkes are coming, that alone shows how far the Black Opal has come."
Berry doesn't feel the same can be said for the $200,000 listed Canberra Cup, where his mount Queenstown is highly fancied alongside Peter Moody's Sir John Hawkewood and Kiwi stayer Burbero.
He teamed with Canberra training duo Barbara Joseph and Paul Jones to win the race with Fill The Page in 2012, and is confident he will contend for a second on the Waterhouse runner.
"It doesn't look to be an overly strong Canberra Cup this year," he said.
"If Burbero runs she's the one to beat, she's in tremendous form over 2000 metres and maybe Peter Moody's.
"There are horses there which aren't in form, and second up will suit mine well."
Berry insisted little can be read into Queenstown's average showing in the group 2 Apollo Stakes over 1400m three weeks ago.
"I think she'll go really well, her form's really good and last start over 1400 was just an unsuitable trip," he said.
"In the Apollo Stakes she was up against a great field, weight-for-age horses.
"She won the Grafton Cup over 2300 and she's always been competitive."
