Caulfield Cup on the table for Deny Knowledge
Having landed Saturday’s Might And Power Stakes in great style from the front, Deny Knowledge may be back out on the track next weekend, with co-trainer Sam Freedman revealing post-race that backing up in the Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) was a more likely option than running in the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) at the end of the month.
“I think she’s classier than probably people give her credit,” Sam Freedman, who trains in partnership with his father Anthony, said.
“Her run in the Underwood was very good, she took off early and was still there fighting it out towards the finish.
“We may back up next week if she pulls up well, which may be slightly more likely than the Cox Plate, so who knows.
“She’s relaxing well enough, so she might have a crack. It looks like she may be getting tired on the line, but she’ll sustain that same gallop for a very long time.”
However, despite finishing second best on Saturday, the Cox Plate on October 26 is still on the agenda for Mr Brightside, and the seven-year-old gelding’s co-trainer Ben Hayes was pleased with his runner-up effort.
“We had our chance,” Ben Hayes, who trains in partnership with his brothers JD and Will, said. “It was a good ride by Craig [Williams] and there are no real excuses.
“The only one I would say is the dry track, it’s now a good three and he doesn’t let down on good three’s as well as he does on a track with some give.
“Somehow, he attracts the sunny skies and if we can get a bit of give, he can bounce back. By no means was it a bad run, so we’ll see how he pulls up, but there’s no excuses apart from the drying track, perhaps.”