Punters who love to pick their winner by name should seriously consider Jenni’s Pride for the Cox Plate today, with the champion mare carrying the legacy of a brave cancer fighter in her silks.
In an open field, Pride of Jenni has become a favorite and owner Tony Ottobre will have tears in his eyes no matter where he ends up.
Because Jenni Pride isn’t just a random name. Jenni is the name of Tony’s daughter, who died in 2015 from brain cancer at just 30 years old.
Doctors had given her permission to stop the experimental treatment to marry the love of her life, Luke. But the cancer grew larger, more aggressive and eventually claimed his life.
Still, he fought three years longer than his original prognosis.
Since then, Ottobre has kept his legacy alive with his racehorses and Pride of Jenni is the pick of the lot.
Jennifer with her parents Tony and Lynn on her wedding day before her tragic death from cancer in 2015.
Jennifer loved her horses and her legacy lives on in her father’s stable, with many of the horses named after him.
The seven-year-old mare is trained by champion creator Ciaron Maher and has established herself as one of Australia’s top racehorses, recently crowned Australian Racehorse of the Year after a series of impressive performances.
Her outstanding victory in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes demonstrated her incredible stamina, leading the field by a notable margin from the start and holding off her competitors in a dominant display.
Ranked among the best horses in the world in 2024, Pride of Jenni has shown great form and consistency in multiple Group 1 events, although he narrowly missed out on victory in the Makybe Diva Stakes.
Her recent achievements and international ranking make her a notable contender for the Cox Plate and if she shows an ounce of the bravery that Jenni showed, the mare will have a big day.
“She never said to me, ‘Why me, Dad?’ Ottobre said The age through a veil of tears.
He had the right to do it, but he never did. She was a very brave girl until the end.
Tony Ottobre will be excited no matter how Jenni’s Pride in Mooney Valley goes today
Pride of Jenni comes to the Cox Plate on a wave of excellent form and is one of the leading contenders to take home the $5 million purse.
Ottobre bought Jenni a racehorse in 2011 when she was first diagnosed and has since built a racing empire of over 30 horses with a variation of the name Jenni and over 70 animals on her property.
He admits that they are starting to run out of options to name them.
“We got bigger and bigger and added more horses, and the more fun we had with the horses, the more comfort they gave us and the more we bought,” he said.
Pride of Jenni will line up from barrier 7 at Cox Plate wearing Jenni’s favorite colors (sky blue and purple) and is a heavy favorite to add to her $10 million in prize money wins to date.
And Ottobre knows that his daughter is the reason his horse is there, with her shotgun spirit.
“As far as I’m concerned, the real Jenni put us there.” One hundred percent.