‘A bit of a head-scratcher’: Raging favourite Pride of Jenni falls flat in $2.5m Australian Cup

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“[It’s] a bit of a head-scratcher,” Newitt said. “She flew the gates, and I was happy with the first couple of furlongs … but she was well and truly beaten at the thousand, which was very unlike her.”

The last time Pride Of Jenni raced at Flemington, she finished last in the group 1 Champions Mile, bled from both nostrils and was immediately retired.

Owner Tony Ottobre did not make such a hasty call this time around. It remains to be seen whether she is sent to compete in Sydney or returned to Ottobre’s farm for a breeding career.

For Light Infantry Man, a six-year-old gelding, the rest of the autumn is still his oyster after beating group 1 performers Deny Knowledge and Zardozi in the Australian Cup.

He is most likely on a mouth-watering collision course with Via Sistina in the $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

But it has taken the six-year-old gelding some time to fulfil his promise.

Maher said he had been initially frustrated by the import after Light Infantry Man failed to hit the mark in Australia, having competed at group 1 level at Royal Ascot before being bought in late 2023 to race Down Under.

Thankfully for connections, he turned it around last spring, winning a listed race during Melbourne Cup week and then the group 1 Northerly Stakes in Western Australia.

“He just keeps improving, he put the writing on the wall in Perth. It’s fantastic, he won quite well,” Maher said.

It has been impressive Melbourne autumn carnival for Maher who has also taken out the group 1 Orr Stakes with Another Wil and the group 1 Oakleigh Plate with Jimmysstar.

The group 1 wins are also starting to pile up for Brown, who now has eight to his name and seven of those are for Maher.

“It’s unreal, it means a lot to me and I do go on about it a lot, but I just continue to get good support from Ciaron and this ownership group,” he said.

“They really batted for me the last six to 12 months and put me on their good horses, and it’s just so rewarding to deliver them results.”

Runner-up Deny Knowledge seemed to miss the kick and did not engage in an expected speed battle with Pride Of Jenni.

“The race didn’t go as we planned, but all-in-all we ended up getting a really nice run and to run second today, I thought was excellent,” jockey Craig Williams said.

“I can actually see how she beat (Mr) Brightside (in the Might and Power Stakes). She has got an unbelievable motor.”

Jamie Melham said third-placed Zardozi, trained by James Cummings, was looking for further.