Light Infantry Man fights off Pride Of Jenni to take the Australian Cup
Another classic chapter of Australian Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) lore was written on Saturday as an epic home straight battle ended in a Ciaron Maher quinella, as Light Infantry Man (Fast Company) overcame a once more gallant Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) in the Flemington feature.
The WFA test has had many gripping chapters since its 1863 inception, from Lonhro’s (Octagonal) impossible victory in 2004, Makybe Diva’s (Desert King) triumph in world record time the following year, and even the great boilover of 1988 when bolter Dandy Andy (Three Legs) spoiled the hyped match race of Vo Rogue (Ivor Prince) and Bonecrusher (Pag Asa).
Saturday’s edition, on an unforgettable day of racing, was worthy of the best of them, as Light Infantry Man edged out Pride Of Jenni at the last gasp.
In so doing, the seven-year-old French import continued a modern trend of back-to-back winners of the race, incorporating Cascadian (New Approach) in the two years before him and the 2018-19 wins of Harlem (Champs Elysees) – though he was the first such double winner since Vo Rogue himself in 1989-90.
Neither of Maher’s two runners was a strong fancy. Chris Waller pair Birdman (Free Eagle) and Leica Lucy (Derryn), and Godolphin’s Tom Kitten (Harry Angel) headed the market at $2.50, $4.60 and $6 respectively.
Punters had that right, in a way. The trio finished in that order – but in fifth, sixth and seventh – as the lesser rated Light Infantry Man, at $21, and $11 shot Pride Of Jenni fought it out.
Under her favourite rider Declan Bates aboard, Pride Of Jenni assumed her customary leader’s role from gate 10 of 12 on a soft 7 track.
With the mare now eight, there would be no attempt for her to try another Vo Rogue-style outrageous lead, such as that seen in her memorable Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) title of two years ago. Instead Bates had her out by three or four lengths most of the way.
He’d subtly increased that to five as the mare eyed her galling quest to hold on up the long Flemington straight, but the mission looked over as early as the 300-metre mark, as Birdman ranged alongside, having saved ground on the rail.
Yet as soon as that had happened, Pride Of Jenni kicked again. Birdman’s challenge was smashed. But now Light Infantry Man, having travelled in third and fourth for Harry Coffey, emerged menacingly.
Again, he looked set to run past the mare inside the 100 metres, but Pride Of Jenni fought again. Like heavyweight boxers, the pair gave all they had over what was left, and on the line it took only the closest of photo examinations to reveal a margin to the outside horse – by 0.02 lengths.
No one who witnessed the bout will quickly forget it, not least Maher, who fought back tears as he heaped praise on both his runners for the spectacle they’d provided, lauding Light Infantry Man for his two victories, but feeling for Pride Of Jenni, who while a quadruple Group 1 winner, also ran second in the race behind Cascadian (New Approach) in 2024, by 0.25 lengths.
“I thought it was going to be a spectacular race and to be fighting it out with two of your own, it’s pretty cool,” Maher said.
“I don’t know who I’m more proud of, the winner or the second horse.
“It’s such a shame for Jenni to run second again. It still eludes her, but she’s racing in great heart and you never know, we may be back here with her next year. She was phenomenal.”
Maher praised Light Infantry Man’s suspended regular rider Ethan Brown for providing tips to Coffey, who rode the gelding to his previous start fourth in Caulfield’s Peter Young Stakes (Gr 2, 1800m), which followed his Carlyon Cup (Gr 3, 1600m) victory at the same track.
“This horse, he’s a unique horse, in the way he has to be ridden,” Maher said. “Browny understands him well and I asked him to pass on some of that information last start, and Harry didn’t really get it until he had finished the race.
“He rode him perfect today. The start is very important for him. He blasted him straight out of the gates.”
Coffey was still absorbing his role in the stirring battle on dismounting, also with more words to say about the vanquished than his own victor.
“I’m just a bit shocked because Jenni, she’s amazing,” he said. “I got on terms with her and I thought I was going to beat her easily. What a racehorse, she fought hard.”
Of his own mount, he said: “What an incredible horse. Tough. It takes a bit to get past a mare when she’s like that, and he did it.
“That is two years in a row where he’s come to this race under sort of extreme conditions and just rose to the occasion when you need him at his toughest.”
Celebrating his fourth Group 1 success, Coffey thanked Brown for his tips.
“He sent me a text this morning saying, ‘I see it is going to be pretty wet. Make sure you give him a nice warm up to the gates to let him know how open that track is because he’s a smart horse and he’ll come to the conditions, but you just have to let him know’.
“I’ve been fortunate to ride some bloody nice horses in my career and winning races like this is extremely special, especially when you’re from a race family.
“Tradition, history, and to put your name next to it and be a part of it, it is everything that people want in racing and we are lucky to have it.”
Team Hayes’s Apulia (Fiorente) took third, a length off the winner.
Light Infantry Man is one of three Group 1 winners for the late Darley sire Fast Company (Danehill Dancer).
The gelding was a €25,000 Arqana yearling, and was subsequently purchased by Blandford Bloodstock for £82,000 from Mocklershill’s draft at the Goffs UK 2YO Breeze Up Sale.
He is one of three winners for Kyllachy (Pivotal) mare Lights On Me, herself a four-time winner and half-sister to Listed winner Choose Your Moment (Choisir).