Punters that love to pick their winner by name should seriously consider Pride of Jenni for the Cox Plate today, with the champion mare carrying the legacy of a brave cancer battler on her silks.
In a wide open field, Pride of Jenni has emerged as one of the favourites and owner Tony Ottobre will have a tear in his eyes no matter where she finishes.
Because of Pride of Jenni is not just a random name. Jenni is the name of Tony’s daughter, who died in 2015 from brain cancer aged just 30.
She had been given permission by doctors to pause experimental treatment in order to marry the love of her life Luke. But the cancer became bigger, more aggressive, eventually claiming her life.
Still, she fought on three years longer than her original prognosis.
Since then, Ottobre keeps her 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 prior to her tragic death from cancer in 2015
Jennifer loved her horses and her legacy lives on with her father’s stable – with many of the horses named after her
The seven-year-old mare is trained by champion maker Ciaron Maher and has established herself as one of Australia’s top racehorses, recently crowned the Australian Racehorse of the Year after a series of impressive performances.
Her standout win in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes showcased her incredible stamina, leading the field by a remarkable margin early on and holding off competitors in a dominant display.
Ranked among the world’s top horses in 2024, Pride of Jenni has displayed strong form and consistency across multiple Group 1 events, though she narrowly missed 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 a stitch of the bravery that Jenni did, the mare is in for a big day.
‘She never once said to me, ‘why me, dad?’ Ottobre told The Age through a veil of tears.
‘She was entitled to, but she never did. She was a very brave girl right to the end.’
Tony Ottobre will be emotional no matter how Pride of Jenni fares at Mooney Valley today
Pride of Jenni comes into the Cox Plate riding a wave of top form and is one of the leading contenders to take out the $5million purse
Ottobre bought Jenni a racehorse in 2011 when she was first diagnosed and has since gone on to create a racing empire of over 30 horses with a variation of the Jenni name and more than 70 animals at his property.
He admits he is starting to run out of options for naming 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 purchased,’ he said.
Pride of Jenni will line up from barrier 7 in the Cox Plate wearing Jenni’s favourite colours – sky blue and purple – and is a hot favourite to add to her $10million in prizemoney won to date.
And Ottobre knows his daughter is the reason his horse is there, with her riding shotgun in spirit.
‘The real Jenni put us there, as far as I’m concerned. One hundred per cent.’
