News

Nothing but Pride as Jenni scores remarkable Cup Week G1 double

11th Nov 2023

Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) has produced one of the most remarkable Cup Week G1 doubles in history, backing up last weekend’s memorable Empire Rose Stakes win with a stunning victory in today’s Champions Mile.

A week ago, the 6YO scored a spectacular front-running win against her own sex in the Empire Rose, leading by up to 10 lengths mid race and running her opponents ragged.

Fast forward seven today and Pride Of Jenni produced a remarkably similar performance – jockey Declan Bates strode to a big lead and again held off all challengers, which today included three of the best WFA milers in the country in Mr Brightside, Alligator Blood and Fangirl.

Pride Of Jenni is raced by Cape Schanck Stud’s Tony and Lynn Ottobre and their family, who purchased her for $100,000 at the Classic Yearling Sale where she was offered by Segenhoe Stud.

She is bred by Brent and Cherry Taylor of Trelawney Stud and the Taylor Family Trust.

Pride Of Jenni (pictured) is the 85^th G1-winning Inglis graduate since 2018 and the 40^th that could have been purchased for $100,000 or less in that time.

Many of Ottobre's fillies are named Jenni in part, in honour of their daughter who passed away in 2015.

“As a family it just bonds us. I’m so grateful to the animals for helping us get through what we’ve had to get through,’’ an emotional Ottobre said.

“It’s very hard to describe at the moment how we feel. We just can’t believe it.

“We’re blessed, it’s unbelievable, a dream come true. It really is a dream come true for anyone in racing to have a horse like this.’’

Segenhoe’s Peter O’Brien was delighted for the Ottobre family.

“They put a lot into the game so it’s wonderful to see Tony and the family get results like this,’’ O’Brien said.

“I remember at Classic Tony picked the horse out on pedigree and John McArdle looked at her for him and they bought her and she’s just improved so much with age like a lot of horses do.

“All credit goes to Trelawney Stud, they did a great job, Brent and Cherry are great friends and terrific clients, we literally just walked her through the ring.

Earlier on the Flemington card Muramasa (Deep Impact) booked his place in next year’s G1 Melbourne Cup with a strong win in today’s G3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

The Queen Elizabeth has proven a quality long-range lead-up to Melbourne Cup success over many years – among them being Makybe Diva winning it in 2002 before her threepeat Cup glory and Soulcombe winning the race last year before running 2^nd to Without A Fight in Tuesday’s Cup.

Muramasa is a $500,000 Easter Yearling Sale purchase for his trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young from the draft of Arrowfield, who bred the horse with Jonathan Munz’s GSA Bloodstock.

“This means he’s qualified for the big race next year, it’s so exciting,’’ Young said.

“I remember being at Inglis…buying him and I thought ‘he’s going to turn into something this horse’ and hopefully that’s next year’s Melbourne Cup.

“He got gelded after he ran in the Derby and he’s now won three out of three this preparation. The team at home has done a fantastic job.’’

Muramasa, who is raced by Ozzie Kheir, John O’Neill and partners, has now won four of his 10 career starts.

At Rosehill Roots (Press Statement) scored a second G2 victory when winning the Hot Danish Stakes.

Roots bypassed Thursday’s Inglis Bracelet at Flemington – a race she won 12 months ago – but she didn’t miss out on Cup Week success, winning the $500,000 Hot Danish Stakes instead in impressive fashion.

The Chris Waller-trained mare was a $2.50 favourite for the Bracelet on Oaks Day but Waller and her owners Sheamus Mills, Heath Newton and Anthony Roberts opted to stay in Sydney and that decision proved the right one, picking up today’s feature with ease.

“I’ve raced horses with more ability but I’ve never raced one with more heart than Roots,’’ Mills said.

“She just doesn’t know how to run a bad race, no matter what the race or the conditions, she just always gives her all. She’s a ripper.’’

The win was the seventh of Roots’ career and took her overall earnings to $950,000, a remarkable 18 times her purchase price of $52,000 that Yugengaisha Murakami Kinya Bokujo parted with to buy her from the Vinery Stud draft the 20220 Classic Yearling Sale.

And at Riccarton the consistent mare Not Guilty (Not A Single Doubt) scored a valuable first black type victory when winning the Listed Pegasus Stakes.

It was a fifth career win for the lightly raced Tony Pike-trained 5YO, who has also amassed six minor placings from just 15 starts.

Not Guilty is a $480,000 Inglis Digital purchase from this year’s June (Late) online sale.