Damien Oliver weighs into racing’s great Pride of Jenni debate

Damien Oliver has shared his views on whether rival jockeys did anything wrong as racing freak Pride Of Jenni established a staggering lead when she won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Retired jockey GOAT Damien Oliver. Picture: Getty Images.

Retired great Damien Oliver says he can understand why rival jockeys didn’t take off early to chase racing freak Pride Of Jenni as she established a massive lead in her spectacular Queen Elizabeth Stakes romp.

Rarely has such a race been the subject of so much debate as Pride Of Jenni got so far ahead that other jockeys would have needed binoculars to see her.

Pride Of Jenni’s owner Tony Ottobre even had a dig at star jockey James McDonald on social media, suggesting he and Via Sistina were outridden by Declan Bates and “next time, have a crack.”

It has set the scene for a salivating rematch in the spring.

Was this the greatest Group 1 performance in the history of Australian racing⁉️ Either way it was truly special 🏆

Pride Of Jenni was in a race of her own in The Queen Elizabeth… @cmaherracingpic.twitter.com/GhNMqyDLtb

— Australian Turf Club (@aus_turf_club) April 13, 2024

READ | Lachie shines on national stage as another hype horse gets rolled

Oliver, Australia’s greatest jockey of all-time who retired last year with 129 Group 1s under his belt, was full of praise for Pride Of Jenni.

However he feels, with the way the Queen Elizabeth set up, other jockeys were probably between a rock and a hard place.

“There was no horse to sit in the middle to bridge that gap, they were all back half sort of horses,” Oliver said.

“There was no real horse to take it up to her. The horse that was running second was Mr Brightside and he blew up chasing her last time they had raced, I can understand why Willow (Craig Williams) didn’t want to take them up to her.

“It comes down to how the field sets up that is chasing her. When horses get that far in front, the others get tired chasing or trying to bridge that gap.”

READ | Jimmysstar burns punters again at Eagle Farm

They didn’t get neat Pride Of Jenni in the Queen Elizabeth. Picture: Getty Images.

Like everyone else, Oliver has been in awe of Pride Of Jenni’s superb frontrunning wins which have established her as an elite racing star and the $4.50 favourite for Cox Plate later this year.

While Bates was lauded for his ride in the Queen Elizabeth, Oliver feels Pride Of Jenni simply took off on her rider and was just far too good for her rivals on the day.

“I don’t think anyone was expecting that to happen, even the rider Declan said that,” Oliver said.

“She made up her own mind that day, what she was going to do, and I don’t think Declan had any say in it.

“Any horse who can do that from the front like that, you’ve got to give them merit.

“They are doing it all themselves. You can’t deny what she has done.”

Damien Oliver. Picture: Getty Images.

READ | Gold Coast stripped of Hollindale meeting amid track disaster

Oliver has been in the central Queensland beef capital of Rockhampton in recent days, helping to promote the $775,000 slot race The Archer.

He says he sometimes misses being in the saddle, but: “I’m not missing it as much as I thought I would, put it that way.”

Originally published as Damien Oliver weighs into racing’s great Pride of Jenni debate