Being a traditionalist favouring the turf’s equine and human exceptionals, Saturday’s Doomben Cup, highlighting Pride Of Jenni and local hero Antino, takes precedence over Sydney’s most serious decision, the sale of Rosehill Gardens, that takes another step next week.
Like all Group ones, the Doomben Cup has slack chapters but this year looks good for what has been a battleground for jousting greats.
Pride Of Jenni, from Victoria, is the current “Horse Of The Year” while Antino bolted away with the Hollindale, 1800 metres, on a suspect Gold Coast circuit last start.
Tuned by Tony Golan at Eagle Farm, with Blake Shinn in the saddle, Antino skimmed over the official heavy circuit, a clag of soil, grass and sand, that had an adverse effect on most of his rivals, six who get a return bout on better Doomben conditions, described as soft” on Friday.
To what degree can they improve, particularly over the 200 metre distance?
Some gave Shinn rave reviews for the Hollindale. Others reckoned it qualified for Banjo Paterson’s “ride like a bag of flour and win and they will cheer you in the stand.” According to the steward’s report Antino began badly and was wide throughout. Perhaps Shinn, top bracket in a vintage jockey crop, was ducking the flying clods while piloting firm ground.
Two rivals pulled up coughing: Lindermann and Eliyass, who was having his first start after a spell so he will be more seasoned for the return bout. Eliyass holds a decision over the very talented Ceolwulf which resounds as a credential.
However with a benchmark of 120, Pride Of Jenni is superior to Antino on 115. Alas the quality of the opposition she beat last start over the Caulfield 1600 metres was suspect. Still Dan O’Sullivan’s Rating Bureau assessed her effort on 103 and higher to Antino’s 102 at the Gold Coast.
“Her 61kg stands as the highest weight carried by a mare to win an open sex stakes race in at least the past 20 years,” O’Sullivan commented.
Surface conditions will not trouble Pride Of Jenni but she could be attacked early playing a role over the final 100 metres, the problem for Antino, untried over the distance.
Being allergic to favourites I am backing Militarize, responsible for plodding behind Antino in the Hollindale. Previously the four-year-old was beaten only 1.3 lengths in the Doncaster and will be suited by the 2000 metres. Yes Militarize was unplaced at his only attempt over the journey, but downed under two and half lengths in the 2023 Cox Plate as a three-year-old.
Being trained by Chris Waller, the stablemate menace looms large as he also has Lindermann, Kovalica, and Osipenko engaged. Should they score it adds bitterness to defeat. On firmer ground Lindermann, with Nash Rawiller up, should take a positive role against the flash front-runner that promises to make the Doomben Cup a race to remember.
It dates back to 1933. Obviously leading the honour roll is Bernborough in 1946, scoring under 68.5kg. Next best Might And Power (1998). My favourite John Wheeler’s Rough Habit. To the eye Rough Habit lived up to his name but in full flight a marvel, winning three in a row from 1991.The gelding carried weight-for-age, 57kg, confirming the superiority of Bernborough. The Doomben Cup was a handicap before being switched to weight-for-age in 1995. Bernborough was regarded as a Queenslander, but my mate Bill Whittaker, who hailed from Bernborough territory, reckoned the champion originated from Italy.
Bernborough would have been a big shout in 1946 had the Brisbane Racing Club been offering free beer for the win, the proposition if Antico or Pride Of Jenni triumph on Saturday. Being late in the program, race eight of nine cuts down the possibility of having a good drink.
Oh yes, The sale of Rosehill.
Australian Turf Club members, totalling around 11,000, will vote on the issue at a special meeting at an extraordinary general meeting next Tuesday.
Twenty-four turned up for an information session at Randwick last Monday while “evidently five” attended at a similar Warwick Farm gathering the previous Wednesday.
Hopefully after Tuesday the question can be answered why is the Australian Turf Club so poverty stricken that Sydney racecourses became downtrodden, with the exception of Rosehill, that has to be sold?
