The market can't split Mr Brightside and Pride Of Jenni in the Australian Cup at Flemington next Saturday ($2.8).
The racing marketeers surely have a free hit with it the promotion, the favorites renewing combat and competition, the stars from the All-Star Mile are returning to Australia's most famous battlefield in a race that dates back to 1863 carrying the nation's name for a trophy.
Mr Brightside with an army of owners that we could have all been conscripted into, Pride Of Jenni, with Tony Ottobre and his family and the forever memory of their lost daughter Jennifer. There won't be any white flags, but nor a "no-man's land".
It's not something lost on Ottobre as confirmation comes that his Pride Of Jenni runs for so much more than prizemoney and prestige at Flemington.
There is a little bit in that he was the strapper of Bush Win when it gave Colin Hayes his first win in the race, 50 years ago in 1974.
Ottobre was 18 at the time, and never destined for the saddle but as passioned for racing as he was with the life and opportunity in Australia, returning to the sport after establishing a successful corporate business to the dreams of that once young kid with horses.
Hayes would win an Australian Cup again with a better one in Dulcify (yes at 80-1) five years later, then with Spectrum (1983).
The Hayes name, via Better Loosen Up, Istidaad and others since (Niconero, Spillway, Harlem, Fifty Stars) now have Mr Brightside.
Ciaron Maher, for point of a litle irony, once apprenticed at Lindsay Park prepares Pride Of Jenni for Ottobre and Saturday.
"Australian Cup Day is to be celebrated," Tony says.
"It reminds us that we are Australians and there’s no politics on that race day, it’s Australia Day for those in the Racing Industry and my wife Lynn is wearing a very special dress for the occasion, she’s such a superstar," Ottobre said.
He says could have taken Pride Of Jenni to Sydney for a Doncaster Mile but wanted to stay and support Victorian racing at Australia's most famous racecourse.
"I have been fortunate to be of Italian heritage and my parents came to Melbourne Australia from a war-torn Italy to find a better life, and like many others they did.
"Australia afforded them a home where they could work, make a good living and have stability for their children.
"My dad Domenico was the best, his father my grandfather passed away shortly after the first world war from the effects of gassing, being the oldest child of his family, he worked hard, sometimes 16 hour days and he would send money back to Italy to his mum so she could take care of herself and his younger siblings, people often ask me where I get my generosity from, now you know, I am just a product of my environment. "
"I love Australia and I owe it so much; I don’t understand why there are so many unpatriotic people in this country trying to divide it," he said.
"The country that allows everyone to come here, work hard and have a good life for themselves and their children, a country that allows you to be successful if you work hard enough, use your smarts and take risks, there is only a few of many countries in this world that will allow you to do that, I just wish people would go overseas and see how tough it is and how great Australia is, we are truly the lucky ones. "
There may have been some brash talk after the All-Star Mile at Caulfield, Ottobre declaring he has the best miler in the country, now the focus is on Saturday, not a score to settle or prove but a contest to embrace.
"We are so proud to have Pride of Jenni representing the Ottobre family in the Australian cup and the racing public may see something special at Flemington, can they run her down, this is so exciting I can’t wait, may the best horse win and may it be a spectacle for people to remember," he said.
"It's ironic that Mr Hayes grandchildren have a very good horse in the same race this Saturday as we do."
Ottobre underlined the training performance of Maher, five weeks between runs from an first-up second to Mr Brightside in the C F Orr Stakes) to that dominating Vo Rogue like All-Star Mile win - "an incredible training feat that should be applauded."
PS - as some significant announcements in Victorian racing administration are expected this week, Ottobre has some advice.
1 - Racing administrators first qualifications should be a good basic knowledge of horse racing
2 - Don’t vote for the Animal Rights Party, they’ve got it wrong, we treat our horses like royalty.
And he's not campaigning for anything expect enjoying racing with his family and the small role he plays in it.
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