Trainer Ciaron Maher collected his first Australian Cup, but it was not with the horse he was expecting.
Saddling up three runners in the Group 1 weight-for-age contest over 2000m on Saturday, Light Infantry Man provided Maher with his maiden win, breaking a run of two successive wins in the race by James Cummings and Godolphin.
Light Infantry Man was the outsider of Maher’s trio, with Pride Of Jenni sent out the $3.80 favourite, beating one runner to the line, almost 16 lengths adrift of the winner, while Middle Earth ($6), finished fifth.
Ridden by Ethan Brown, Light Infantry Man ($9) scored a two-length victory from Deny Knowledge ($11) with Zardozi ($4.60) a long neck away third.
Pride Of Jenni, as usual, set a solid tempo, and led from Young Werther and Attrition with Deny Knowledge, who was expected to apply early pressure, settling in fourth, after bungling the start.
Light Infantry Man tracked that speed before moving into contention turning for home.
“I was pretty confident actually,” Maher said.
“I knew he’d enjoy that good tempo because of his races in Europe and he’s just in career-best form.
“The team have done a great job with him. Browny rode him beautifully. He’s a strong horse and can sustain it.
“He just keeps improving, he put the writing on the wall in Perth. It’s fantastic, He won quite well.”
An imported galloper, Light Infantry Man had been struggling for form until winning during Melbourne Cup week at Flemington before striking Group 1 form at Ascot in Perth in December.
Brown now has eight Group 1 winners to his credit of which seven have been supplied by Maher, including his first aboard Snapdancer in Adelaide back in 2022.
He said the partnership he has formed with Maher means a lot.
“I do go on about it a lot, but I just continue to get good support from Ciaron and this ownership group,” Brown said.
“They really have batted for me in the last six-to-12 months and put me on their good horses and it’s just so rewarding to deliver them results.”
Brown said he was expecting a stronger tempo on Saturday, but the race worked out perfectly.
“It was sedate early but, as Jenni does, she picked it up a long way out,” Brown said.
“He was always going to relish it this bloke. The 2000 metres was never a worry for him, but all the cards fell our way today.
“It’s a long straight that Flemington straight, but he really appreciates being ridden like that and I’m super rapt to get the job done today.”
Craig Newitt, who partnered Pride Of Jenni, described the mare’s performance as a ‘bit of a head-scratcher’.
“She flew the gates, and I was happy with the first couple of furlongs, and she had travelled well, and we got to the 1200 (metres) and they were still there,” Newitt said.
“I let her slide a little bit, but she was well and truly beaten at the thousand which was very unlike her.”
