Jenni sets up Autumn Glow showdown in Queen Elizabeth Stakes
Pride of Jenni is set to return to the scene of her most memorable performance and take on Autumn Glow in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
A knowing look between owner Tony Ottobre and trainer Ciaron Maher, more than an hour after Pride Of Jenni’s brave, courageous Australian Cup defeat, confirmed that she will return to 2000m at Randwick.
“After she got beat, I just left the mounting yard because I was shattered. I went up and got a glass of red wine and sat there by myself,” Ottobre said. “A race later, I went down and had a look at the photo finish because I just wanted to see it.”
“She was beaten by three millimetres. They say it was a nose, but it was a hair.”
“I walked out and saw Ciaron and we just looked at each other and didn’t say much.”
“I said Queen Elizabeth and he nodded.”
“It will be up to Ciaron, but we are 85 per cent to be there, everything going right.”
Ottobre has been outspoken about Pride of Jenni, but he could be prouder of her in defeat.
She had set her usual rattling tempo on a track that is not to her liking. She looked spent in the straight but fought off favourite Birdman, and it was only a final lunge from Light Infantry Man that took the Australian Cup away from her.
“I think everyone who watched that gave her the credit for how brave she is,” Ottobre said. “I thought she was gone at 300m, and at the 200m she kicked again, and in the end, the only place she wasn’t in front was at the post. But that’s the only one that counts.”
It gives Australian racing as good a race it has had in the past decade, where the best will meet the best at their best.
Pride Of Jenni will ensure it will be run at an elite tempo that will produce the best and strongest winner.
Expect Light Infantry Man to come for the Queen Elizabeth, while Aeliana and Dubai Honour, who staged a tremendous duel for the length of the Rosehill straight in the Tancred Stakes, will be at Randwick as well.
Wootton Verni took the easier path via the Neville Sellwood Stakes and is a Queen Elizabeth wildcard, while one-time Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup favourite Sir Delius, has been set for the race since he was ruled out of the spring by Racing Victoria’s scans.
Autumn Glow might be an unbeaten star, but win number 12 will be her greatest achievement if she can get it.
HORSE RACING AT ITS ABSOLUTE BEST 🤯
Light Infantry Man goes back-to-back in an Australian Cup epic! Pride Of Jenni with the most gallant of runs, we salute you 🫡@htcoffey @cmaherracing pic.twitter.com/R78B7dCBLk
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) March 28, 2026
Aussie Tom and Jmac brought their best in the Tancred
Tom Marquand and James McDonald offered a riding masterclass in the Tancred Stakes.
It was horsemen knowing their mounts and riding them to their strengths.
Marquand was the front foot on English warrior Dubai Honour, while McDonald showed patience on Aeliana that only came because of her Ranvet Stakes win.
Marquand knew he only had to beat one horse and by taking off early, in some people’s eyes, he took Aeliana somewhere where she had not been before.
“We thought we’d try something different today,” Marquand said. “We kind of knew what would happen if we just sat and did what we normally do. We tried it. It nearly worked.”
It is an admission that they thought Aeliana would have the sharper turn of foot, but McDonald was too smart.
When he lost four lengths turning, there was no panic, just belief that once Aeliana organised herself, she would produce the winning surge.
“About the 300, I could feel her really building underneath me,” McDonald said. “I just felt if I went earlier and chased her I would’ve been just out of my comfort zone. It was a chance I was willing to take and I’m glad it paid off.”
“I learned a bit on her the other day.”
“Once she balances up, and then she’ll find. Last time Nash [Rawiller on Lindermann] rode a terrific race and had me a little bit disorganised and I didn’t want that to happen today.”
“Lucky we were on a superior horse and credit to the runner-up [Dubai Honour], he gave us one hell of a fright.”
Aeliana took 2-3/4 lengths off Dubai Honour in the final 200m according to Daily Sectionals, something she could only do because of McDonald’s ride.
AELIANA – SHE’S ALL HEART 💜🤍
Another classic Group 1! Dubai Honour so brave but Aeliana has grabbed him in a Tancred for the ages to make it two Group Ones in a week 🏆🏆@mcacajamez @cwallerracing @startbreds pic.twitter.com/v9PdMR738r
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) March 28, 2026
O’Shea case is like a sin bin becoming a four-game ban
In the Australian Racing Rules, mandatory disqualifications are saved for the most severe of cases, jockeys betting or pulling up a horse and high-end drug penalties, it doesn’t sit right that misconduct carries a similar penalty.
John O’Shea’s case has brought to light the weakness in Racing NSW’s local rule that mandates a six-month disqualification for misconduct.
Even Racing NSW integrity head Michael Cleaver admitted that the O’Shea case would be different if the disqualification rule wasn’t in effect.
In the past, a case like O’Shea would have been dealt a fine.
Misconduct charges are subjective. It covers a wide range of offences, from words to striking officials.
To put in a rugby league context, what O’Shea said to the vet after Bev’s Nine’s scratching is backchatting the referee.
It would usually be 10 minutes in the sin bin during a game, but in this case it more like a four-match ban.
The penalty is totally out of proportion with the offence.
And because of the disqualification rule, when participants are charged under misconduct they are forced to plead guilty and attempt to get a reduction in the penalty. The penalty takes away any chance of a not guilty plea.
O’Shea’s legal team made a case that a local rule cannot alter the Australian Rules of Racing. They argued that disqualification gives stewards only one penalty once they lay a misconduct charge.
Whatever the decision of O’Shea’s appeal, it will have repercussions.
Coolmore might have secured the one of their best-ever stallion deals if Golden Slipper winner Guest House continues winning.
When buying a stallion, there are usually performance clauses that give significant kickers for future victories, amounting to millions of dollars.
There are none in the Guest House deal, which is believed to be worth $29 million.
It is understood Guest House owners knocked back a stallion deal before the Golden Slipper, which was $4 million and further $20 million if he won the Slipper.
He will race on in the ownership of the Roll the Dice syndicate in their colours, which was important to the group, who now have life changing money.
However, Coolmore will be consulted on where he races, which will be at the highest level. Every race he wins will be twice as valuable to Coolmore.
