Light Infantry Man delivers Maher a first Australian Cup triumph
Ciaron Maher celebrated his first Australian Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) win, but not with the runner many expected as Light Infantry Man (Fast Company) grabbed his second elite-level win in the Flemington showpiece on Saturday.
The trainer gave himself every chance of a maiden win in the Australian Cup, but the eventual winner was rated the outsider of Maher’s trio with Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) sent out the $3.80 favourite, while Middle Earth (Roaring Lion) was rated a $6 chance.
Ridden by Ethan Brown, Light Infantry Man registered a two-length victory over the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Deny Knowledge (Pride Of Dubai). The 2023 VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) winner Zardozi (Kingman), who was aiming to give her owners Godolphin and trainer James Cummings a third–successive win in the contest, finished 0.5 lengths further away in third.
Pride Of Jenni, as usual, set a solid tempo, and led from Young Werther (Tavistock) and Attrition (Churchill) 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 [Ethan Brown] 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 import from Europe, Light Infantry Man had been struggling for form until winning the Chester Manifold Stakes (Listed, 1600m) during Melbourne Cup week at Flemington and went on to strike at Group 1 level when he won the Northerly Stakes (Gr 1, 1800m) 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 (Choisir) in the Robert Sangster Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) in 2022.
The winning rider was quick to pay tribute to Maher.
“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 [Pride Of] 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 [metres] which was very unlike her.”