IT’S IN THE BLOOD Thursday, October 29, 2020 | Dedicated to the Australasian bloodstock industry - subscribe for free: Click here CHERRY TORTONI - BY TREVOR MARSHALLSEA - PAGE 11 YESTERDAY'S RACE RESULTS - PAGE 18 Princess Jenni upsets Cup Read Tomorrow's Issue For: Maiden Of The Week aspirants in Bendigo feature What's on David Brideoake-trained Group 1 winner returns to form Race meetings: Gosford (NSW), Sapphire as Joseph O’Brien’s Pondus just falls short Coast (NSW), Cranbourne (VIC), Northam (WA), Ashburton (NZ) Barrier trials / Jump-outs: Sapphire Coast (NSW), Ballarat (VIC), Launceston (TAS) International meetings: Lingfield (UK), Southwell (UK), Chelmsford (UK), Vaal (SAF) International sales: Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale (UK), Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale (USA) MORNING BRIEFING Princess Jenni GETTY IMAGES Surething To Win tops BY ANDREW HAWKINS | @ANZ_NEWS a half for the first time yesterday with the David Inglis Digital sale Brideoake-trained mare sent out at $26. For the second time this month, a three-year- he Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, Instead, the money came for international old filly by I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) 3200m) field became clearer visitor Pondus (Sea The Moon), with his has topped an Inglis Digital online auction, yesterday after Group 1 winner placings behind Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr with Surething To Win yesterday selling to Peter Princess Jenni (5 m High 1, 2000m) winner Addeybb (Pivotal) and Robl Racing for $265,000 in the October (Late) TChaparral - Glitzabeel by Zabeel) returned two-time Canadian International (Gr 1, 12f) catalogue. Surething To Win is the 75th $100,000 to form to take the Bendigo Cup (Gr 3, hero Desert Encounter (Halling) last season plus Inglis Digital result since 2018 and was 2400m). and his efforts this year seeing the Joseph one of seven horses offered unreserved as Last year’s Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m) O’Brien-prepared five-year-old backed into part of the estate of the late Trevor Stuckey. winner Princess Jenni stepped out at a mile and $3.80 favouritism. Continued on page 2>> Morning Briefing page 5 >> Follow us @anz_news | 1 | Brought to you by Princess Jenni upstets Cup aspirants in Bendigo feature | 2 | Thursday, October 29, 2020 << Continued from page 1 Princess Jenni overraced in the earlier stages but, from gate nine, rider Jye McNeil was able to get her into a good position in fifth, one off the rail. Conversely, Pondus had to go back to near last from the outside gate under Damian Lane, an awkward position regardless. However, it was made worse when hometown hope Super Girl (So You Think) broke down approaching the crossing at the 1800 metres, shifting ground and taking the Irish raider wider on the track. That incident proved critical in the finish as Princess Jenni, who raced to the lead early in the stretch, held off the late-charging Pondus to score by a nose. Haky (Muhtathir), more established as a front-runner early in his career, produced his best performance yet from a trailing position, finishing a further two lengths away in third. Princess Jenni RACING PHOTOS For McNeil, it was his second country Cup in seven days, joining Punters were on the same page as McNeil with the mare unwanted in his win on Steel Prince (Nathaniel) in the Geelong Cup (Gr 3, 2400m), the market after a lacklustre spring in which she finished unplaced in four while he is preparing for his biggest mount yet when partnering Twilight starts. She had not won in more than a year, after taking the Stocks Stakes Payment (Teofilo) in next week’s Melbourne Cup. (Gr 2, 1600m) last September. “It’s great. Her form probably wasn’t going the best into it but a small However, Brideoake said there were reasons she had not finished little gear change and everything going well during the racing, she put her closer this spring. best foot forward and it was quite a nice performance, I thought,” he said. “She’s such a good horse,” the winning trainer told Racing.com. “I was travelling so well before the turn that I nearly fell into the trap of “Honestly, this preparation she hasn’t done anything wrong, she’s just improving too early but she was starting to peak a little bit on her run late. The had a series of gates and bits and pieces that just didn’t allow us to get a race was over by then and the way things went during the race it was just perfect.” result but today, that’s a good result.” Continued on page 3>> Follow us @anz_news | 2 | Brought to you by Princess Jenni upstets Cup aspirants in Bendigo feature | 3 | Thursday, October 29, 2020 << Continued from page 2 The Bendigo Cup served as one of the "We just didn't get enough mile-and-a-half work into her to go to the last lead-ups to the Melbourne Cup next Tuesday, although no winner Melbourne Cup,” he said. "There's always next year. had lined up six days later since The Offer (Montjeu) in 2015. "She's just such a good horse and I knew she was in good shape, to lift Pondus and Haky are among the third acceptors, as are fourth-placed like that. But the ride, the ride was outstanding.” Saracen Knight (Camelot) and fifth Zebrowski (Savabeel), but it is highly Bought by Tony Ottobre and Darren Weir Racing for NZ$120,000 unlikely that any of the quartet from the Phoenix Park draft at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka will make the final field of 24, to Premier Yearling Sale, Princess Jenni - named for Ottobre’s late daughter I WAS TRAVELLING be determined Saturday night. - has now earned $976,035. SO WELL BEFORE THE Princess Jenni was among She is likely to be given her chance to crack the million-dollar mark in TURN THAT I NEARLY the nominations for the the Matriarch Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m) on the final day of the Melbourne Cup FELL INTO THE TRAP Melbourne Cup in August Carnival. OF IMPROVING TOO and was allocated 51.5 EARLY BUT SHE WAS kilograms. She was taken out Vale Super Girl STARTING TO PEAK A at first acceptances in late The Bendigo Cup was marred by Super Girl’s injury as the Jim September. Middlemis owned and bred mare was pulled up abruptly by Jordan Childs LITTLE BIT ON HER RUN If she had remained in shortly after leaving the straight the first time. LATE. THE RACE WAS contention, she would have Having suffered an injury to her near fore leg, she was transported across OVER BY THEN AND been outside the top 24 without Heinz Street to Bendigo Equine Hospital, but she was unable to be saved. THE WAY THINGS WENT a penalty. However, the victory Her trainer Josh Julius returned to the track to watch his charge DURING THE RACE IT helped her to pass the first ballot Highclass Harry (Magnus) take out a Melbourne Cup Carnival Country WAS JUST PERFECT. clause for next year’s Cup, which Series heat ahead of the $500,000 final at Flemington next Thursday, but in - JYE MCNEIL Brideoake said remained a an emotional interview post-race, he laid bare his devastation at the loss possibility. of his stable star. Continued on page 4>> Follow us @anz_news | 3 | Brought to you by Princess Jenni upstets Cup aspirants in Bendigo feature | 4 | Thursday, October 29, 2020 << Continued from page 3 "We're pretty flat. Jim and Lyn at home are obviously upset,'' Julius said. "She's obviously been a massive asset to our stable and I can't thank Jim and Lyn enough or their support and, hopefully, we can get one just as good. "Whether one means as much as she did, we'll wait and see. Can be pretty hard at times, racing, but glad Jordie is ok, obviously. "It'll be a sombre few beers tonight. A small stable like us, everyone knows them backwards. Even all the people that have had something to do with the stable along the way over the last couple of years, no doubt they're all feeling it as well. "The Bendigo community has been terrific. My phone is blowing up. Everyone has shown support, got behind us, but unfortunately that's racing." Super Girl won four of her 24 starts with eight placings, including when third in the Andrew Ramsden Stakes (Listed, 2800m) earlier this year, earning $170,335. Owners locked out of Melbourne Cup Parade RACING PHOTOS Melbourne Cup Carnival It is a dream for many owners to have a Melbourne Cup runner, “It is the right decision and has been made in the interests of all but those lucky enough to have a starter next Tuesday will not Victorians.” be allowed trackside after the Victorian government yesterday This latest announcement comes after the government faced announced that it would not grant permission to the Victoria Racing tremendous criticism for its decision to allow 500 owners to attend the Club (VRC) to host connections at Flemington throughout the four- Cox Plate meeting at Moonee Valley, a judgement that was reversed day Carnival. within hours. Victorian racing VRC chairman Amanda Elliott, who earlier this week had expressed IN LIGHT OF THIS WEEK’S minister Martin confidence that the government would allow a small number of owners, EASING OF RESTRICTIONS, Pakula released a said that chief executive Neil Wilson had spent “significant time and INCLUDING THE REOPENING statement yesterday resources developing a very comprehensive CovidSafe plan”, which had OF RETAIL AND HOSPITALITY, afternoon saying been scaled down when it was clear that members and the general public WE WERE REALLY OPTIMISTIC that, despite the could not attend.