Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos
Tony and Lynn Ottobre's Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) has captivated audiences since last November, reaching new heights with her victory in The All-Star Mile and a subsequent dominant performance in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. in the autumn.
However, she might not be the only Jenni making headlines in the coming months. Progressive filly Jenni’s Meadow (Brutal {NZ}) proved she's one to watch with an impressive performance in Saturday’s Listed Taj Rossi Series Final at Flemington.
In the aftermath, The Thoroughbred Report spoke to Tony Ottobre about the filly, who credited Newgate Farm’s first-season sire Brutal (NZ) with his first victory and now his first stakes success as a sire.
Brutal (NZ) | Standing at Newgate Farm
Not my wheelhouse
Trained by Ben, Will, and JD Hayes, Jenni’s Meadow showed considerable potential when she won on debut at Moonee Valley in late December. Reflecting her trainers' high opinion of her, she headed to the Gold Coast to tackle the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
Jenni’s Meadow won on debut at Moonee Valley in December 2023 | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
The daughter of Brutal (NZ) put in a credible performance, finishing eighth in the 1200-metre dash won by Storm Boy (Justify {USA}). Returning to the races in late May, Jenni’s Meadow finished fourth at Sandown-Hillside behind her paternal sister Heinous (Brutal {NZ}).
Racing at Flemington over 1200 metres, Jenni’s Meadow finished fifth in the event won by Wonder Boy (Cosmic Force). She returned to Flemington over 1400 metres and, despite having to settle behind her stablemate Sneaky Sunrise (The Autumn Sun), ran home strongly, suggesting she was far from finished.
Meeting Sneaky Sunrise again in Saturday’s Listed Taj Rossi Series Final over 1600 metres and carrying a weight advantage of 58.5kg, Jenni’s Meadow showed her appreciation for the trip. With Ethan Brown in the saddle, she stormed home to win by 1.25l.
Tony Ottobre admitted that racing 2-year-olds is not his usual focus, making this journey a new experience.
“I thought once we got Jenni’s Meadow to the mile, we’d probably see the best of her,” Ottobre told TTR AusNZ. “Prior to that, we had her over 1200 and 1400 metres, and she was racing well but not quite getting there.”
Speaking on future plans for Jenni’s Meadow, Ottobre said, “The Taj Rossi Series Final was our target race. Ben (Hayes) had it on the radar for quite a while. She’s done her job, and of course, she’s a 2-year-old, which I don’t usually race. It’s very rare for me to race a 2-year-old.
“The Taj Rossi Series Final was our target race. Ben (Hayes) had it on the radar for quite a while. She’s (Jenni's Meadow) done her job, and of course, she’s a 2-year-old, which I don’t usually race.” - Tony Ottobre
“I’m in another world at the moment, which the Hayes boys and their team have guided me through and trained me into. So, I’ll leave it up to them what she’s going to do next.
“I’m just going to sit back and watch how they train a 2-year-old who is about to become a 3-year-old.”
The one I wanted
Travelling back to last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January, Tony Ottobre recounted what he liked about the yearling Jenni’s Meadow, who was bred by members of the Nolan family and offered by their Raheen Stud.
Jenni’s Meadow was the third foal from the Redoute’s Choice mare Meadow, who had won over 1650 metres and had already produced Flower In The Wind (Sebring), a five-time winner who was placed in the Listed Belmont Classic.
Meadow is a daughter of the talented performer Strawberry Field, a daughter of Encosta De Lago, who won the Listed Maybe Mahal S., was placed in the G2 Rose Of Kingston S. twice and was fourth in the G1 Queen of the Turf.
Jenni's Meadow as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Additionally, Meadow is a half-sister to Aunt Mimi (More Than Ready {USA}), who has tasted success at stud, producing the talented Mimi’s Award (Shamus Award), a six-time winner including the G3 South Australia Fillies Classic, The Deane Lester Flemington Cup, and the Banjo Paterson Series Final.
“Her breeders are extremely happy, and they’ve been messaging me and congratulating us. It is also fantastic for Brutal, who I’ve always thought will make a good stallion.”
Under his Cape Schanck Stud banner, Ottobre signed for $260,000, which was a bit more than he intended to spend.
Jenni's Meadow kicked clear to win the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“There’s a bit of a story to that one. I was hoping to pay about $150,000, which I felt was the going price for Brutal at the time. I didn't think I’d have to spend much more than that.
“I was hoping to pay about $150,000 (for Jenni's Meadow as a yearling), which I felt was the going price for Brutal at the time. I didn't think I’d have to spend much more than that.” - Tony Ottobre
“However, firstly, I looked at her breeding, and she was bred quite well. With Brutal, a son of O’Reilly, and then Redoute’s Choice being the damsire, I thought she was certainly worth looking at.
“I liked that her second dam had black type as well; that’s pretty important for me. When I went to inspect her at the complex, she was extremely well-behaved, intelligent, and had a nice swagger about the way she moved.
“When I went to inspect her (Jenni's Meadow) at the complex, she was extremely well-behaved, intelligent, and had a nice swagger about the way she moved.” - Tony Ottobre
“I was impressed virtually straight away. However, there was also a bloke there called Josh Rix, who was looking at her. Josh is from the Hayes camp, and he looked at me and I looked at him. I said to myself, ‘Yeah, well... I think I want this horse and I’ve got a bit more money to spend than you have, so I’m going to be bidding for her.’
“I knew how the Hayes team worked. They put a price on the horse and then they walk away; they don’t overspend. I wasn’t particularly worried about it until we got into the ring. I didn’t realise it was them bidding, but everyone was out at $150,000 and then someone popped up at $160,000, and it kept going.
“I really didn’t know who was bidding against me, I just kept going and thought, ‘I’m pretty right on the money for this filly because somebody else has noticed what I noticed.’ They took her to $250,000 and I went to $260,000, and the rest is history.
“I found out who I was up against, and I went over there and said, ‘Thank you very much for pushing me up.’ The Hayes team replied, ‘Sorry Tony, we didn’t realise, but she was our buy of the day at Magic Millions.’
“I found out who I was up against (for Jenni's Meadow as a yearling), and I went over there and said, ‘Thank you very much for pushing me up.’ The Hayes team replied, ‘Sorry Tony, we didn’t realise, but she was our buy of the day at Magic Millions.’” - Tony Ottobre
“So, she wasn’t just another horse that they were looking at but was one that they targeted as the buy for the day.
“I thought to myself, ‘Well if you think that she’s that good, you better train her.’ So, that’s how Ben, Will, and JD ended up with Jenni’s Meadow instead of Ciaron Maher, my usual trainer.”
Jenni’s gearing up for the spring
It has been well-documented that Tony Ottobre and his wife Lynn christened their horses with ‘Jenni’ in memory of their late daughter, Jennifer Ottobre, who passed away from brain cancer in 2015.
Tony and Lynn Ottobre with jockey Ethan Brown | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
The Ottobres have tasted much success, and recently the Ciaron Maher-trained Pride Of Jenni has scaled new heights. With spring on our doorstep, Ottobre shared an update on the wonder mare and a few others who have spring ambitions.
“We had a really nice horse, Jenni Multabella, win on Thursday at Sale. I bought her with the G1 VRC Oaks in mind, and she’s running and winning over 1006 metres.”
Trained by Lloyd Kennewell and Lucy Yeomans, Jenni Multabella (NZ) is a daughter of Rich Hill Stud’s Ace High, who has already tasted Classic success with his daughter Molly Bloom (NZ) in the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas.
Jenni Multabella was a NZ$130,000 purchase by Cape Schanck Stud from the draft of Cambria Park at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.
“I’m really excited about Jenni Multabella; she’s my type of horse. I love those Oaks-type fillies.”
Alongside Pride Of Jenni, the talented Jennilala (Shalaa {Ire}), a victress of the G3 Auraria S. and placed in the G1 Australasian Oaks, has also returned to work.
“The big girl, Pride Of Jenni, is fantastic. She’s going extremely well. I’ve been in contact with the guys all the time, and the feedback is she’s even a bit better than she was before. Pride Of Jenni seems to know that she’s the Queen, and so she’s in a great headspace.
“I think once you’ve got a horse at her level and they are doing well physically, we just need to keep her happy and content physiologically.
Pride Of Jenni, a dominant winner of the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. in April 2024 | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We don’t want her to turn into a Chautauqua—all the talent in the world but doesn’t want to run. Her best friend, Jennilala, has also returned, and she’s going great as well.
“So, I’m really looking forward to a great spring. It’ll be exciting.”
