Deny Jenni: How Deny Knowledge can make 2025 Australian Cup hard work for Pride Of Jenni

Deny Knowledge will get first crack at the favourite, with Middle Earth, Atishu, Zardozi and Light Infantry Man poised to potentially capitalise on a hi-octane 2000m Flemington blockbuster.

Astute form analyst Dominic Beirne said the first 800m could set the tone on Saturday.

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“Pride Of Jenni is usually sharper to break than Deny Knowledge,” Beirne said.

“From barrier one Jenni will be urged to begin for fear of being crossed.

“Jenni’s typical MO (modus operandi) is to get the first 800m as softly as possible.

“Deny Knowledge’s MO is to run freely the first 800m.

“Therein lies the conflict. I’m expecting game on!”

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Pride Of Jenni is a $2.70 favourite from Middle Earth ($4.20), Zardozi ($7.50), Atishu ($9), Light Infantry Man ($10), Feroce ($12) and Deny Knowledge ($13).

Respected ratings expert Dan O’Sullivan said Pride Of Jenni had superior top end and sustained early speed to absorb the pressure from Deny Knowledge.

O’Sullivan, of The Rating Bureau, said a “sweet spot” for Deny Knowledge has been 107 to 115 early speed rating, eight to nine lengths faster than standard for metropolitan horses.

Pride Of Jenni has raced up to a peak 135 early speed rating the past 12 months and averaged 124 – 10 to 17 lengths faster than standard – in five of her recent starts.

Deny Knowledge posted an early speed rating of 114 second-up last spring when she defeated Mr Brightside in the 2000m Group 1 Might And Power Stakes.

The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained mare recorded a 109 early speed rating last month to lead and win a 2000m Listed race first-up at Caulfield.

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“In some older runs she has gone considerably faster than that, but has been well beaten in those races, indicating that the next level of stronger pace is usually too much for her,” O’Sullivan said.

“That 107 to 115 level of early speed looks like a good sweet spot for her.

“Pride Of Jenni has a higher top end threshold … she can set a stronger speed than Deny Knowledge and still be there to win at the end or at least perform somewhere near her better ratings.”

Deny Knowledge co-trainer Sam Freedman, who won the 2021 Australian Cup with Homesman, said a shared racing style with Pride Of Jenni made it “a great race” on Saturday.

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“We’ve got a horse that’s able to do the work (early with Pride Of Jenni) and I think good enough to win, I’m not sure, but she’ll hopefully stick around there for a while,” Freedman said.

“Otherwise (Pride Of Jenni) is going to lob to the front, you leave her alone, she increases tempo and then they all go why didn’t we try and run her down?

“It will make it a great race and that’s what racing is about, it’s competitive, our idea is it’s a race and we don’t want to change (tactics) too much.

“You start riding horses where they don’t like to be ridden (could bring us undone), not only that, it’s also her biggest asset, it can also be Pride Of Jenni’s biggest asset.

“It doesn’t mean one of us has to fold, it just means we’re going to the race with the same tactics.”

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Victoria Racing Club chief executive Kylie Rogers has pledged to shout the bar at Flemington should Pride Of Jenni win the Australian Cup.

Melbourne Racing Club chairman John Kanga set the tone a fortnight ago with free drinks after Pride Of Jenni won the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield.

Originally published as Deny Jenni: How Deny Knowledge can make 2025 Australian Cup hard work for Pride Of Jenni