Latest news with #PrideOfJenni
News.com.au
12-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Declan Bates chasing his next Group 1 winner in Stradbroke Handicap aboard Rise At Dawn
Irish jockey Declan Bates is used to playing musical chairs in racing, but he's confident he's on the right horse for the $3m Stradbroke Handicap on Saturday at Eagle Farm. Many pundits thought Bates had been treated harshly when he was stripped of the ride on reigning horse of the year Pride Of Jenni shortly after the frontrunning mare's flop in the Group 1 Cox Plate last September. Owner Tony Ottobre decided to instead go with Ben Melham and then Craig Newitt, despite Declan steering Pride Of Jenni to five wins and five placings from 13 races, and $9m in prizemoney, since he picked up the ride in September 2023. Bates, who has won three of his four Groups 1s on Pride of Jenni, handled the controversial decision with class, saying he felt privileged just to be riding such a talented mare in the first place. 'It wasn't as if there was a fallout or anything,' he told Racenet this week on a bitterly cold morning in Ballarat. 'I probably knew it would come to an end at some point and when it happened, I just felt I was lucky to be on board when I was. 'It provided me with some of the best days of my career. I'm happy to just keep working away and now I'm looking for the next one (Group 1 winner), that's how it works.' That Group 1 winner could easily be the Ben, JD and Will Hayes -trained Rise At Dawn, who is $9.50 in betting for the 1400m Stradbroke at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The four-year-old gelding is only one of two horses in single figures in the market, with the other being stablemate War Machine ($2.70). Bates, 36, has been on board War Machine for seven of his 12 races but Tim Clark will ride the hot Stradbroke favourite on Saturday. 'The favourite will be hard to beat and he's actually a horse I do know very well,' Bates said. 'I've ridden him a few times and won a couple of races on him in the early days. 'He's coming off two really good wins but it's probably a step up for him. He looks to be well in but he probably does need to pick up again if he's going to win. 'My fella's had a couple of runs in some really competitive races like the Doncaster Mile in Sydney (where he finished fourth) so he's sort of well seasoned and he'll be hard to beat.' Bates will fly up to Brisbane on Friday night to ready himself for his first tilt at a Group 1 in Queensland on a horse he's never ridden before. 'It looks to be a pretty wide-open race, really,' he said. 'He (Rise At Dawn) should be hard-fit now with a good run under his belt and he gets in with a light weight. 'He ticks plenty of boxes and so I'm very confident he's going to run well.' Rise At Dawn is coming off a fifth placing in the Kingsford Smith Cup last Saturday and Bates expects him to improve as he backs up just seven days later. 'He'll get in with a light weight – would you call it a drop in grade maybe – and the extra 100m should suit,' Bates said 'He'll need everything to go right on the day but if it does then he'll be thereabouts for sure.'
7NEWS
04-06-2025
- Business
- 7NEWS
Stallion announcement signals the end for ‘once-in-a-lifetime' champion Pride Of Jenni
Australia's reigning Horse of the Year and the country's leading stallion will meet later this year with Pride Of Jenni confirmed for a meeting with I Am Invincible. Yarraman Park Stud, in conjunction with Pride Of Jenni's owner Tony Ottobre, announced on Tuesday night that the three-time Group 1-winning daughter of Pride Of Dubai had been booked into the star resident of its Hunter Valley farm. 'I Am Invincible, what he's been able to do is incredible,' Ottobre said. 'I'm in awe of what he's been able to produce so I think we'll get a good one out of Pride Of Jenni.' The announcement effectively signals the end of Pride Of Jenni's career, which took in 39 starts for 10 wins and 12 minor placings. The seven-year-old's most recent appearance came in the Group 1 Doomben Cup on May 24, when she finished 10th of 12 in the race won by Antino. She announced herself a star during Melbourne Cup Week in 2023, when she won the Empire Rose Stakes and Champions Mile in the space of eight days, and returned in the second half of the season to win the $4 million All-Star Mile and Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Ottobre said like during her racing career, when Sammy Waters was the loyal companion of the Ciaron Maher-trained mare, Pride Of Jenni would have a designated carer as a broodmare. 'A horse like this only comes once in a lifetime, and she'll have her own carer throughout her entire life now,' he said. 'So, wherever she goes, there will be a carer going with her. We're bringing in Caroline Kirwin from Ireland. 'Prior to that, we had Samantha Waters at the Ciaron Maher stables. Wherever Pride Of Jenni went, Sam was there all the time, and she never left her side at the stables. 'Now I've specially employed Caroline Kirwin from Ireland, who will be arriving soon to go through the breeding journey with Pride Of Jenni — wherever Pride Of Jenni goes, she's going.' Pride Of Jenni is one of the highest-profile bookings for I Am Invincible, who is in contention for a fourth straight win in the Australian Champion Stallion award. The son of Invincible Spirit will stand at a fee of $220,000, including GST, for the 2025 breeding season.
News.com.au
03-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Reigning horse of the year Pride Of Jenni to visit Yarraman Park stallion I Am Invincible this breeding season
Yarraman Park has confirmed that its three-time champion stallion I Am Invincible will be the first mating for reigning horse of the year Pride Of Jenni this breeding season. I Am Invincible, who will command a $220,000 service fee this season, leads this year's sires tables for both individual winners (180) and two-year-old stakes winners (5). He's the sire of champion sprinter Imperatriz and this year produced Vinrock, the winner of the Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes in Sydney. It looks a match made in heaven with Pride Of Jenni, a winner of 10 races – including her dashing victory in the 2024 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes – and more than $10 million in prizemoney. Pride Of Jenni's owner Tony Ottobre said in a Yarraman Park announcement that he was 'in awe' of what I Am Invincible had done in his stallion career so far. 'I did look at the top stallions that were already here and I Am Invincible came up as a really good cross with her line of Street Cry, but also the fact that it's doubling to a superstar broodmare, Eljazzi,' he said. 'Eljazzi being the mother of Rafha, being the mother of Invincible Spirit. And Eljazzi, who's the mother of Al Anood who's the mother Pride Of Dubai (Pride Of Jenni's sire).'
News.com.au
02-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Pride of Jenni's owner Tony Ottobre to keep his lips sealed on retirement talk for champion mare
Scarred by the keyboard warriors who criticised Pride Of Jenni 's second coming, prominent owner Tony Ottobre has vowed to keep his lips sealed when he decides the time is right to retire the champion mare for good. Ottobre made what he admitted was an emotional decision to call time on the triple Group 1 winner's career after she bled when last in the Champions Mile at Flemington in November. But Ottobre changed his mind in the new year and in March, Pride Of Jenni returned with a bang, winning the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield under 61kg. The seven-year-old then flopped in the $2.5m Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington before a 2.25-length victory in the Listed Anniversary Vase (1600m) at Caulfield early this month. She was then sent to Queensland for the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m), won by local hero Antino, but faded badly to finish 10th out of 12 runners. It prompted further questions over whether it was time for Ottobre to again hang up the saddle for the Ciaron Maher -trained mare, but the owner insisted Pride Of Jenni would be the one to make that call, not him. 'When she's ready, then we'll retire her. And there won't be any fanfare,' said Ottobre, who told Racenet recently that he had banned himself from social media. 'One day she just won't turn up to the races and that'll be it. 'I've already made an announcement and I tried to apologise to say that 'look, I did get it wrong' but it was 'boo-hoo to you Tony, we're still going to give it to you'. 'Well it'll be 'boo-hoo to you guys' because I'm not going to tell them when she's going to retire so it works both ways. 'I've always talked the truth but now I just have to clam up a little bit because it's not good for my family. 'I don't care, you can bag the s*** out of me but my family – my wife, my son, my grandchildren and my friends – they don't like to see that kind of stuff. 'I just can't believe how bad some people are with their thoughts about horses. It's pretty rank.' Pride Of Jenni returns with a bang at Caulfield as she goes all the way to take out the Listed Anniversary Vase 🙌 @cmaherracing @craig_newitt — (@Racing) May 3, 2025 • Ottobre said he felt vindicated in bringing Pride Of Jenni, who had won almost $10.5m in prizemoney, back to the racetrack. 'Because I mentioned that she was going to retire last year, ever since then everyone's been jumping on my case saying 'you should retire her',' he said. 'Then she won the Peter Young Stakes. She was just outside the course record that was 20 years old and had to carry 61kg. 'We did the right thing and people have got to give us some sort of credit for that because we don't retire her just because people say that we should. 'We have a judgment call to make and nine times out of 10 we make the right call. 'As far as I'm concerned, bringing her back and winning two out of the races she's raced in was vindication enough to say we were on the money.' The great mare is back! ðŸ'« Pride Of Jenni picks up where she left off, stringing her opposition out & trouncing them in the Peter Young Stakes. @cmaherracing @craig_newitt — (@Racing) March 15, 2025 Pride Of Jenni left Brisbane on Monday on a truck bound for Melbourne, where she will enjoy a spell before a likely spring carnival campaign. But just don't mention the R-word to Ottobre because he's had a gutful of the negativity surrounding his champion mare. 'They all talk about retiring and age but horses can run up until they're 13,' he said. 'I'm not saying I'll do that with her but it's no big deal that seven or eight-year-olds keep running. ' Chautauqua is the perfect example. He just told everyone that he didn't want to run.'
News.com.au
24-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Post-race jockey reports from the 2025 Doomben Cup
Queensland superstar Antino became the first local horse in more than 40 years to win the $1 million Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben on Saturday. Antino's victory was the first by a Queenslander since Lord Seaman won the weight-for-age contest in 1983. The race was billed as a two-horse war between Antino and reigning Australian Racehorse of the Year Pride Of Jenni but it fizzled into a one act affair, with Pride Of Jenni beaten turning for home when Antino went on by. Antino strode clear to win running away by 3-3/4 lengths with Fawkner Park finishing second ahead of Kovalica. Pride Of Jenni was beaten 11 lengths and crossed the line in 10th. Antino is an absolute star! The Queenslander dominates the Doomben Cup for @tonygollan ðŸ�† @blake_shinn — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 24, 2025 The win was Antino's 13th from 26 starts and took his earnings to more than $3.1 million. This is what the riders thought of their mount's performance in the Doomben Cup. â– â– â– â– â– 1st – ANTINO (Blake Shinn) He's some horse. He told me when he wanted to get rolling about the half mile when I just pulled him off Osipenko's back and it was time to go and, yeah, it was a great feeling. He went from about seven (lengths) off them to have the race at his mercy about the 400m and I knew he'd keep that gallop up. It's great for Queensland racing to witness Antino at his best here today. It's great for Tony Gollan, and it's great to showcase a horse of his ilk. It's special to be on him. 2nd – FAWKNER PARK (Ethan Brown) Great run. He was just a bit awkward into stride. Shuffled back a bit further than what I would have liked but the way the race panned out, I don't think it really mattered. Antino was too good on the day. Good effort and he'll be suited of over 2200 next start. He is capable of turning the tables under the right circumstances. 3rd – KOVALICA (James McDonald) He ran well. 4th – MILITARIZE (Tommy Berry) He's going well. He just looks like he's looking for further now. Still hitting that flat spot from the 1600 to the 1400 and then he was really good in the straight. Something like the Q22 would suit. 5th – BOIS D'ARGENT (Ryan Maloney) He ran his good, usual honest race. Probably just a bit too sharp for him when the pressure went on. 6th – KLONDIKE (Matthew Poon) Really happy how he ran. Just a little bit further, I expect. He tried hard and ran well. Next start a bit further, he'll run much better. 7th – OSIPENKO (Kerrin McEvoy) He ran a good race. He was wide the trip and stuck on. He was quite brave. 8th – MISS JOELENE (Cejay Graham) Her toughest task to-date but I thought she ran a cracker of a race . She didn't love that horse three-deep laying in on her. She hit a bit of a flat spot at the 600 (metre mark) but she was tough late. 9th – ELIYASS (Tim Clark) Probably a little bit disappointing again. I did have to do a bit of work early from that gate in what was obviously a very fast run race. That left him a bit vulnerable late. 10th – PRIDE OF JENNI (Craig Newitt) Disappointing. She was a little bit cantankerous pre-race today, probably just in front of the crowd. She stepped slow so I had to ask her to muster up and she got into a good rhythm and everything was fine. Got to about the 1000 and started to quicken her up – a little bit like Flemington a couple of starts ago – got to the bottom pretty quick. She showed a bit of fight when straightening but when Antino went past so quick, it was almost like the white flag went up. 11th – LINDERMANN (Nash Rawiller) He had a couple of tough runs which brought out the best of him. Not everything went right the other day with that heavy track and he's shown a few signs that he's got to the end of it. 12th – MY OBERON (Jason Collett) Soft enough run but just had that distance too far.
