Queensland Oaks contender Jenni’s Meadow marks full-circle moment for owner Tony Ottobre

Tony Ottobre used to be an apprentice jockey for legendary trainer Colin Hayes, whose grandsons are now training his Queensland Oaks chance Jenni’s Meadow.

In his younger days, prominent owner Tony Ottobre was an apprentice jockey for the late Hall of Fame trainer Colin Hayes.

Now, in a full-circle moment, Hayes’ grandsons Ben, Will and JD are training Ottobre’s filly Jenni’s Meadow in what looks to be a wide-open race in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

The David Vandyke-trained Philia, chasing a fifth straight victory, has drifted slightly to $4.20 in the betting market after drawing barrier 16 while Jenni’s Meadow is $8.

• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet’s team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Group 1 Australasian Oaks winner Benagil is $5.50 and the Chris Waller-trained Movin Out, with James McDonald on board, is $8 in the $700,000 race for three-year-old fillies.

Both Movin Out and Jenni’s Meadow came from well back in the field to heap the pressure on frontrunning winner Philia in the Group 2 The Roses (2000m) at Doomben two weeks ago.

• ‘I want to win every race’: Secret behind Prebble’s rapid rise

“She did make a long sustained run and the way she finished off, you’d think the extra 200m (in the Oaks) will be no problem,” Ben Hayes said.

“We’re really happy with her and she’s done everything right.

“She’s really thrived and her final piece of work earlier in the week was excellent.

“We feel like we’re right on track, we’re just going to need a little bit of luck from barrier one, which is the opposite of The Roses (barrier 14).”

Jenni's Meadow is a top chance in an open Queensland Oaks. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

Ottobre started out as an apprentice jockey in the early 1970s for legendary trainer Colin Hayes, who established the famous Lindsay Park Stud in South Australia’s Barossa Valley.

Hayes built a training and breeding empire that produced an incredible 5333 winners by the time he retired in 1990, including two Melbourne Cup victories with Beldale Ball (1980) and At Talaq in 1986.

• ‘How do they work that out?’: Trainer queries Joliestar ‘best horse’ tag

Ottobre eventually realised his future lay in owning horses rather than riding them and he became a successful businessman.

He now keeps his stable of horses at his Cape Schanck farm on the Mornington Peninsula, enjoying enormous success over the past two years with three-time Group 1 champion and reigning horse of the year Pride Of Jenni.

Tony Ottobre (left) was an apprentice jockey for Colin Hayes. Picture: Getty Images

“He’s got a little bit of history with Lindsay Park, which is good, so it’ll be exciting to get a good winner for Tony,” Ben Hayes said about Ottobre, who names his Jenni horses after his daughter, who tragically died from brain cancer at age 26 in 2015.

“He’s passionate and he loves his horses. She (Jenni’s Meadow) has been a very good horse for him the whole way through.

“She’s a Listed winner, black-type Group 2, Group 3 placed and she’ll be around the mark.

“She’s definitely more than capable (of winning the Oaks).”

All horses in the three Group 1s – the Oaks, Queensland Derby (2400m) and Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) – at Eagle Farm on Saturday have been passed by vets, with the exception of Let’s Fly.

Vets say the $21 Oaks chance has some muscle soreness and the filly will need to be trotted up again on race morning.

Originally published as Queensland Oaks contender Jenni’s Meadow marks full-circle moment for owner Tony Ottobre