Ottobre’s Pride: Jenni’s legacy lives on with Empire Rose win

Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos

People would be hard-pressed to find better examples of how thoroughbreds and racing enrich the lives of those who participate than the weekend’s results.

In North America, the story of Cody Dorman, a boy battling Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome and his special friend and namesake Cody’s Wish (USA) (Curlin {USA}) captured hearts globally. The Godolphin-owned champion made his final bow on the racetrack in a drama-filled G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. To the delight of all, Cody's Wish prevailed, with Dorman on track and waiting in the winner’s circle at Santa Anita.

While in Australia at Melbourne’s historic Flemington Racecourse, it was Derby Day, an iconic meeting on the Australian racing calendar.

Among the three Group 1 races was the Empire Rose S., named in honour of the hulking daughter of Sir Tristram (Ire), who won the Melbourne Cup in 1988. Empire Rose was courageous, and that’s a word that can sufficiently describe Saturday’s victress, Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai).

Brave Jenni

The 6-year-old mare had never won a stakes race but had been placed at Group 1 level and Group 2, 3 and Listed before Saturday. Pride Of Jenni achieved something very few can pull off with a brilliantly executed ride from Declan Bates; the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained mare made every post a winner over the challenging mile course and vast Flemington straight and still had a 1l in hand to hold off the Group 1 winner Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel).

It was a truly incredible performance! And like Cody’s Wish and Dorman, Pride Of Jenni and her owners, Tony and Lyn Ottobre, have their own story.

Nobody can begrudge Ottobre and Pride Of Jenni. The daughter of Pride Of Dubai, like all of Ottobre’s horses, is named in memory of their late daughter Jennifer Ottobre, who passed away in 2015 from brain cancer.

Pride Of Jenni’s victory understandably made an incredibly tough period a little easier to get through, as last Monday, October 30, was Jennifer’s birthday, and November 12 marks the anniversary of her passing.

However, Pride Of Jenni wasn’t the only winner to carry the moniker on Saturday, at Pakenham Jenni Express (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) and Jenni Esprit (Bel Esprit) also took the name into the winner's circle.

Gallery: The Ottobre family's horses found the winner's stall on three occasions on Saturday

Tony Ottobre, speaking to The Thoroughbred Report, relived the victory, “You just don’t see horses win that way, not down that long Flemington. It’s tough to do, but Pride Of Jenni is that type of horse she needs to be going at a thunderous pace all the way through.

“It’s just how we’ve got to ride her, and Declan Bates executed the ride perfectly. We already had a plan in place as to how the race would unfold, and basically, you've got to sit and get your sectional times right with her, and she’ll be there at the finish.

“The hardest part watching it for me was when Atishu came out of the pack attempting to run her down because that has happened so many times before we've just been nipped.”

As Ottobre explained, there are a million ways you can get beat on the racecourse, “We had Pride Of Jenni racing in the G2 Rose Of Kingston two years prior, and Declan (Bates) rode her that occasion as well, and we got nabbed by Still A Star in the last five metres. What really made the loss upsetting for me was that it's always a 1400-metre race, but because of COVID, apparently, they couldn’t get the gates in a specific position, so for the first time ever, it became a 1410-metre race!

“It was difficult. We got beaten by a minuscule margin. A few of my mates quite like to joke and laugh about it. It was unbelievable, really.”

Well deserved

Before her barnstorming victory at Flemington, Pride Of Jenni was run down narrowly by Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}) in the G2 WH Stocks S. at Moonee Valley. Ottobre and the team already had a backup plan, almost expecting they would likely be run down again.

“Pride Of Jenni had already won half a million in prizemoney, and she’d been Group 1-placed, Group 2-placed and everything. Like I couldn’t believe she hadn’t won a stakes race yet, and I said to myself, if she doesn’t win, or if she’s not in the finish, we will go to the Cranbourne Cup in three weeks.

“That was the thinking to get a Listed win on her page and over the mile. I thought we’d safely be able to get that one home.”

There will be no tilt at the Cranbourne Cup for Pride Of Jenni now. Ottobre explained how he purchased his newest Group 1 victress for $100,000 under his Cape Schanck Stud banner when offered by Segenhoe Stud at the 2019 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

“Pride Of Jenni is a beautiful horse. She was the type I liked to buy at the yearling sales. Her dam is by O’Reilly, and he’s a top broodmare sire in New Zealand. I felt I got her a reasonably good price. I paid $100,000 for her, and her value has just increased.”

That it has, however Pride Of Jenni won’t be going anywhere; she’s part of the furniture now in Ottobre’s family and farm.

Bucket list

Her victory in the Empire Rose S. wasn’t just sentimental. It was also a bucket list item for Ottobre. Ottobre has enormous respect for the race, first run in 1988 and then named The Honda Legend and graded as a Listed race.

The following years have seen the Empire Rose S. upgraded to Group 1 and throughout the years seen some exceptional mares prevail, such as Divine Madonna (Hurricane Sky), Forensics (Flying Spur), Typhoon Tracy (Red Ransom {USA}) and Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) among others.

“For me, the Empire Rose has always been the ultimate Group 1 mares' race. Not just in Victoria but in Australia, we’ve mares and fillies come from everywhere to run. In 2019, we had Princess Jenni run fourth to Melody Belle, who retired with 14 Group 1 races.

“So, I specifically wanted to win the Empire Rose because of the quality and calibre of mare or filly it takes to win the race. It made it a bit easier that some of the girls who would have been dangerous went to Sydney instead (Golden Eagle).

“Personally, I felt it’s a shame that Sydney held a big-money race on Derby Day. It feels like the states are competing against each other and putting that race on when there are all these established/good races in Melbourne. I just feel we should be working together and making our industry stronger.

“So many people rely on our industry, and if we all get together, we can fix these little issues and push back together against the Green Party, the Animal Rights Party, and all these other people who are out to destroy something they really have no idea about.”

Ottobre speaks with passion as somebody puts the welfare of his horses above everything and feels deeply about the issue.

He admits although his racing exploits are a business, he would never jeopardise his horse’s health and happiness for money.

“My horses would be the best fed, best trained and best looked after horses anywhere. They live a life of luxury, and during their spells for downtime or whatever, we bring them out to my stud farm. When at my property, they are weighed, they are groomed, their feet are dressed, and we go over any nicks and bumps and everything they need to be successful racehorses.

“And then we clean them up and let them go be horses in the paddocks. Spending time with the horses makes my wife (Lyn) and I feel really good; it’s a great feeling they give us because they’re all individual personalities, and I know each one of my horses.

“I think anyone who’s involved with horses and has a good rapport with them knows their quirks and personalities and what makes them happy, or angry or offended.”

Happy and healthy horses

On a sunny Sunday, Ottobre enjoyed watching the next generation of thoroughbreds enjoying life.

“We’ve got a couple of foals in the paddock at the moment, and they are just jumping around and playing. It’s really quite pleasant to watch.”

One of those mares who recently foaled is the Ottobre-owned Princess Jenni (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}), a victress of the G1 Schweppes Oaks and three other stakes races, she recently foaled a colt by Snitzel and is set to be served by Swettenham Stud’s Wooded (Ire).

“What we do on the farm is basically get the horse ready for the trainer. We feel we can put that extra one per cent at the stud farm because it’s very hard for, say, a trainer to get that extra one cent because it’s usually just them, and they are busy and have other horses.

“So, our way of helping to present the trainer with a horse is substantially in good condition to work with, just essentially a happy and healthy horse.

“And we’re not in it for the money; we’re in racing because we love horses and the enjoyment and pleasure the industry has and what it can offer us. We feel blessed every time we go to the races, and we have a horse running.”

Ottobre is already looking and planning to defend his title in the Empire Rose, whether that’s with Pride Of Jenni or Jennilala (Shalaa {Ire}), who was unplaced in Saturday’s race. Still, pleased Ottobre and hope the experience up in grade will hold Jennilala in good stead next preparation.

“It’s always planning forward and making things are not just guesswork. We just make sure that we do the right thing by the horse and the one percenters are being made. Look, Jennilala may have a setback or something like that, I don’t know, but then you just go over it again.

“I thought the first half of the race Jennilala ran great, and then she just got a bit puffed-out the last bit and faded. But Pride Of Jenni didn’t win the Empire Rose the first time she contested it, so you can always dream and hope!”

Charitable endeavours

Although there is heartbreak at losing their daughter, Ottobre and his wife, find therapy in talking about Jennifer and remembering the beautiful person she was through the horses they own.

“For myself and my wife, it is therapy talking about Jennifer. She was a beautiful person in our lives and will never be a forgotten person. My wife used to say, “‘I think people think it might upset me if they bring up or talk about Jennifer. But I like to talk about my daughter and our memories’.”

Knowing the pain of losing a child, the Ottobre family have done what they can to help other families who suffer from the same situation. When Dean Holland sadly lost his life in a race fall at Donald earlier in the year, the family opened a GoFundMe that accrued nearly $2 million in donations for the Holland family.

“I come from an Italian background and Lynn’s English. Her parents came to Australia to find a better place to live and raise their kids. Lynn and her parents were always very open and kind and shared anything they could, and I come from a similar background.

“My parents were always helping other people, and our family would always be charitable. We were both brought up that our parents made us a particular fashion. We don’t have any problems with being generous, but you’ve got to have the money.

“And we’ve got to the point where we did exceptionally well, and our children and grandchildren will be okay, so we’ve got this extra money, so let’s see if we can help other people who need it. I think that there are always people who are worse off than us.

“We lost a child, but I’d hate anyone to lose a child, and anybody that has, we feel sorry for them just as deeply. We were fortunate in Jenny’s case to take her to different areas overseas and try treatments. The doctors gave her nine to 12 months to live and she went four years and four months. We nearly got her over the line with the available alternative treatments. When I say alternative, they are still medically sound, just not the same system the hospital has used for 15 years.

“So, that’s what we were able to do. I know many other people can’t do that because they're stuck in the system where it’s nine to 12 months you have to live, and that’s where we feel that if we can help out in some way we will.”

Despite their struggles, the family remains optimistic and overall good people. Ottobre admits he hasn’t made many friends with trainers because he is not afraid to change the horse’s scenery if he feels it will improve the horse.

“I’m going to tell all my trainers, this is a good game after the Empire Rose S. and next year I want to have 16 horses in the race,” Ottobre jokes.

“People ask me how many horses I’ve got and say, “Well, I’ve got 70,” but actually I stopped counting at 70, so I’m not really sure.”

Ottobre is now hopeful he will be celebrating his next winner as soon as Monday when Field Of Jenni (Deep Field) goes around at Ballarat.