In today’s spring carnival briefing, your wrap of racing news:
- Pride Of Jenni owner Tony Ottobre has opted for a shock jockey change in a bid to spark one of the country’s most popular gallopers for Champions Day at Flemington on Saturday.
- Champions Day at Flemington will see the return of Via Sistina after the record-breaking Cox Plate winner was withdrawn by connections from the Melbourne Cup.
Pride Of Jenni jockey replaced for $3m race
Pride Of Jenni owner Tony Ottobre has opted for a shock jockey change in a bid to spark one of the country’s most popular gallopers for Champions Day at Flemington on Saturday.
Regular jockey Declan Bates, who has ridden Pride Of Jenni in her past 10 starts, has been replaced by Ben Melham ahead of the $3 million Champions Mile on the final day of the Melbourne Cup carnival.
Declan Bates salutes as Pride Of Jenni wins the All-Star Mile.Credit: Getty
Bates was a major part of Pride Of Jenni’s rise to racing cult hero, recruited by Ottobre to capitalise on the mare’s bold front-running style that helped her to three group 1 wins and the All-Star Mile before being crowned Australian horse of the year.
But Pride Of Jenni has had an indifferent spring carnival, winning the group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m), but being beaten by Ceolwulf in the $5 million King Charles Stakes (1600m) before tiring badly to finish almost 16 lengths behind Via Sistina in the Cox Plate (2040m).
Ottobre declined to comment about the change of jockeys on Wednesday, but pointed out that his mare had broken the track record for 1600m at Moonee Valley while running in the Cox Plate.
The owner had also questioned Racing NSW stewards about the tactics of rival Major Beel in the King Charles Stakes after the Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott galloper kept Pride Of Jenni 10-wide for the opening 500m of the race.
Pride Of Jenni tired late to finish second, while 100-1 shot Major Beel finished eight-lengths tenth.
Trainer Ciaron Maher said the rider change was an owner decision, but expected Pride Of Jenni to still be at the front of the field at some stage of Saturday’s group 1 event.
“She runs consistent fractions so you just need to get them right,” Maher said.
Bates took to social media to say he looked forward to continuing his relationship with the Ottobre family.
“It has been a huge privilege to ride Pride Of Jenni, and one of the greatest experiences of my riding career so far,” he posted on X. “She certainly is a once-in-a-lifetime horse. I wish her and Tony all the best for Saturday.”
Via Sistina back on track
Champions Day at Flemington will mark the return of Via Sistina after the record-breaking Cox Plate winner was withdrawn by connections from the Melbourne Cup.
Trainer Chris Waller’s decision to keep Via Sistina at the middle distance of the $3 million group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) means she will start a red-hot, odds-on favourite.
James McDonald and Via Sistina will run at Flemington on Saturday.Credit: Eddie Jim
Her closest rival in the market is group 1-winning stablemate Atishu, while last year’s Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup-winning star Without A Fight will have his first run in 12 months after sustaining a tendon injury.
There will be two big head-to-head clashes in Flemington’s other headline events – the $3 million Champion Sprint and $3 million Champions Mile.
Mr Brightside and Pride Of Jenni will renew hostilities in the 1600m group 1 race, while the first two home in the Everest – Bella Nipotina and Giga Kick – clash in the group 1 1200m sprint.
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