Pride Of Jenni on target for latest showdown with Mr Brightside in All-Star Mile
Owner Tony Ottobre will have key chances in the All-Star Mile and Sydney’s Group 1 Coolmore Classic racing 20 minutes apart on a bumper Saturday.
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Mr Brightside may have scored a narrow points decision over Pride Of Jenni when the elite duo tangled for the first time this year, but there’s a twist to the tale.
Pride Of Jenni’s owner Tony Ottobre said the CF Orr runner-up effort was a run to get his mare’s “windpipes going” and insists his pride and joy horse has been trained specifically for Saturday’s $3.75m All-Star Mile.
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Ottobre has high respect for freakish galloper Mr Brightside as the two big guns dominate betting going into Saturday’s rich race.
The first time the duo met at Group 1 level was when Pride Of Jenni scored the Champions Mile at Flemington last spring, relegating Mr Brightside to second.
Then Mr Brightside took the points – albeit narrowly – when the pair met first-up in 2024 in the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes.
However, Ottobre insists that was just a “blowout” run to ready Pride Of Jenni for her main All-Star Mile mission.
He also reiterated earlier comments from the Ciaron Maher that Pride Of Jenni has improved four lengths since last year.
“For my mare, the 1400(m) first-up was just a blowout to get her windpipes going,” Ottobre said.
“But she still performed incredibly well, even though she was probably a little bit underdone.
“She has been trained specifically for this All-Star Mile race on Saturday, it’s this race we want.
“Now she’s ready to rock and roll and she’s rock hard fit.
“Pride Of Jenni is at least four lengths better than last year, that’s the word coming back from the stable.
“Mr Brightside looks like he is better from last year as well, so it should be a great race.”
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Mr Brightside ($1.80) and frontrunning sensation Pride Of Jenni ($3.80) dominate the All-Star Mile to such an extent there is no other horse under double figures in betting and few pundits are prepared to give anything else a chance.
It could be a massive 20 minutes for Ottobre on Saturday, given the All-Star Mile will be raced at 4.15pm at Caulfield and the Group 1 Coolmore Classic is on at 4.35pm at Rosehill in Sydney.
Ottobre, whose horses carry the “Jenni” name in honour of his daughter Jennifer who died from a brain tumour in 2015, has Jennilala contesting the Coolmore as a $10 chance.
If one “Jenni” can win it will be a terrific day for Ottobre and his wife Lynn.
If both win, it will be extraordinary.
Ottobre said Pride Of Jenni has improved incredibly since strapper and trackwork rider Sam Waters – who now sports a Pride Of Jenni tattoo – started working with the mare.
"I think that's probably one of the best days of my life."
— Racing.com (@Racing) November 4, 2023
Strapper Sam Waters couldn't be prouder of Pride Of Jenni 🥰 pic.twitter.com/41Fgn0sPRE
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The once unruly and cantankerous mare has transformed.
“Sammie started working with my mare and I wasn’t aware of that to start with, but I started to notice that things were changing with Jenni and her demeanour,” Ottobre said.
“This was a horse who earlier in her career was very belligerent in the mounting yard and going out, she just felt like a dangerous horse at times.
“But Sammie really started to get her in a good headspace.
“We then took off the earmuffs and the stallion chain and no longer did this mare have to be taken out by the clerk of the horse.
“Obviously Pride Of Jenni has taken a liking to Sammie, because of her kindness towards the horse
“Sammie became very close to the horse and Jenni started to behave a lot better under her watch.
“The change has only happened in last 12 months, so I am 100 per cent sure Sammie has made the difference.”
Originally published as Pride Of Jenni on target for latest showdown with Mr Brightside in All-Star Mile
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